Redland Hospital surgeon investigation not expected to report until mid-2021

An investigation into a surgeon who potentially failed to detect cancer in patients is now not expected to be completed until next year.

An independent probe into a Redland Hospital surgeon who potentially failed to detect patient cancers is not expected to be completed until mid-next year – 18 months after problems were first made public.

The Courier-Mail revealed in January that 1000 patients would be offered new cancer screening after problems with the surgeon arose in September 2018.

Although Metro South Hospital and Health Service banned the surgeon from performing procedures colloquially termed scopes – endoscopies and colonoscopies to examine a patient’s digestive tract for signs of cancer – the issue was kept from Queensland Health head office for months.

SURGEON’S SCREENING BUNGLES LEAVE 1000 AT RISK

PROBE TO DETERMINE WHETHER ANY DEATHS CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO SURGEON

Redland Hospital.

While Metro South referred the doctor to Queensland’s Office of the Health Ombudsman and the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency in 2018, it did not report the issue to Queensland Health until about a year later.

Queensland Health Director-General John Wakefield and former Health Minister Steven Miles were only informed just before last Christmas.

An independent investigation was ordered, but the COVID-19 pandemic emerged weeks later, delaying proceedings.

Patient, hospital and other records needed for the probe had to be digitised and transferred to electronic systems to ensure as little disruption to the investigation process as possible.

In a statement, Queensland Health said “only a small number” of the surgeon’s patients were yet to be re-scoped, “due to their clinical condition”.

“The investigation is anticipated at this stage to be finalised by mid-2021,” a Queensland Health spokeswoman said.

“Queensland Health takes quality and safety of its patients seriously. We will consider carefully all recommendations arising from the investigation for implementation, to prevent this happening in the future, including any lessons for the broader healthcare system.

“We committed, from the beginning, to make the results of the investigation public and will do so as appropriate, while ensuring the confidentiality and privacy of individuals concerned, is maintained.”

NSW gastroenterologist Professor Anne Duggan has been appointed as the chief investigator.

Dr Wakefield said earlier this year a “critical question” for the investigation would be whether any deaths could be attributed to the doctor’s practice.

Problems with the Redland Hospital surgeon are understood to have emerged after a patient he screened in 2017 was later found to have advanced precancerous polyps that potentially should have been picked up in the initial procedure.

Although the surgeon was banned from scopes in September 2018, an audit of his other surgical work found his complication rate to be lower than his peers.

Originally published as Redland Hospital surgeon investigation not expected to report until mid-2021