Calls for swift action on LGH misconduct claims

Parliament’s ambulance ramping inquiry has heard serious claims of cover-ups, wage theft, protocol breaches and invasions of privacy at the state’s second-largest hospital. The allegations.

Peter Renshaw, Launceston General Hospital's executive director of medical services, has denied he lied to Department of Health secretary Kathrine Morgan-Wicks about what was known of the hospital-related offending of paedophile nurse James Geoffrey Griffin.

Claims of serious misconduct including the falsification of death records at the Launceston General Hospital demanded an immediate and serious response, Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff says.

Speaking after a parliamentary committee hearing in Hobart heard allegations of serious misconduct and coverups at the hospital on Monday, Ms Woodruff said called for a swift and decisive response.

“Anyone who listened would have been really appalled at the allegations that have been presented,” she said.

“Such serious matters deserve an immediate response from the government and the Minister for Health, but really, the premier really himself needs to make a statement about some of the allegations there today.

Parliament Ambulance Ramping Inquiry, Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff. Picture: Chris Kidd

“There’s clearly a pervasive culture at the Launceston General Hospital, which doesn’t appear to have changed from the evidence we’ve got today, which appears on the face it to be gravely harmful to both staff and patients at times.

“The alleged failures to report, the alleged failures to respond to complaints, the allegations of the falsification of evidence, and the failure to refer to the coroner is a whole toxic mix of appalling alleged misconduct.”

Premier Jeremy Rockliff said he was not aware of the details of the allegations.

“I haven’t been fully briefed on the evidence presented today, except to say that anything that arises from the committee process and the evidence of course will be fully investigated, as it should,” he said.

Labor’s health spokeswoman Anita Dow said Tuesday’s hearing had revealed “further damning evidence of the ongoing failures in Tasmania’s health system”.

“Launceston General Hospital nurse Amanda Duncan’s evidence today was damning, not only about the hospital’s culture and practices but also the State Government’s failures which have led to this crisis,” she said.

Health Minister Guy Barnett speaks to the media at Triabunna on Tuesday, February 6, 2024.

“Ms Duncan’s allegations of avoidable deaths at the LGH and of the hospital breaching its own Code Brown protocols deserve to be investigated thoroughly.

“Ms Duncan quite clearly stated that the pressure on staff, patients and everyone in the health system is the responsibility of this government, which has failed to respond adequately over 10 years in office.”

Health Minister Guy Barnett also said the claims would be looked into.

I concur with the remarks of the premier to say firstly, we take this matter very seriously. It is a concern. I will be asking my health department to follow up and investigate and report back to me as soon as possible.”

Whistleblower lifts lid on LGH deaths cover-up claims

The senior doctor at the Launceston General Hospital falsified the cause of death on official documents on multiple occasions as part of a pattern of cover-ups well known to staff, a parliamentary inquiry has heard.

Launceston General Hospital nurse Amanda Duncan said the hospital’s former Director of Clinical Services Peter Renshaw routinely falsified death certificates and failed to report deaths to the coroner as required by law.

She says a Commission of Inquiry is needed into healthcare failures in Tasmania.

In detailed evidence before Parliament’s ambulance ramping inquiry, Ms Duncan said further inquiries — including a police investigation — were needed.

“I have received 11 reports from doctors and nurses who have disclosed alleged misconduct relating to the death of a patient, including falsified medical certificates of death in Ward 5A, Ward 5B, the intensive care unit, the operating room suite and the emergency department at the LGH,” she said.

Amanda Duncan speaks to the media on Parliament Lawns in Hobart on Wednesday, September 27, 2023.

“Multiple nurses have alleged to me the only time we ever see Peter Renshaw on the wards was when he came to change a patient’s cause of death.

“LGH doctors have reported to me when they were reviewing deceased patients’ notes retrospectively for learning purposes they had inadvertently discovered the cause of death which they had appropriately determined and documented on a medical certificate of death at the time of death had been amended by Dr Renshaw without their knowledge.”

Dr Renshaw came under adverse notice from the Commission of Inquiry for misleading his superiors about information relating to prolific pedophile and LGH nurse James Geoffrey Griffin — and for misleading the Commission itself.

He has since retired. Dr Renshaw has not been charged with criminal misconduct.

Peter Renshaw, Launceston General Hospital's executive director of medical services, has denied he lied to Department of Health secretary Kathrine Morgan-Wicks about what was known of the hospital-related offending of paedophile nurse James Geoffrey Griffin.

Last month, nurse Tom Millen told the inquiry Dr Renshaw failed to follow the Coroner’s Act in at least one case, and there have been “tea room discussions” of more.

Ms Duncan raised the case of a patient who died of a cardiac arrest while under an anaesthetic.

She said the anaesthetist slapped a nurse who tried declare an emergency as the patient’s condition deteriorated.

The committee heard Ms Duncan was unable to find any record of a coronial investigation into what she regarded as a preventable death and nurses were excluded from subsequent in-house investigations.

“Dr Renshaw’s conduct was culturally entrenched at the LGH,” she said.

“As a senior doctor reported to me the words to the effect of ‘Call Dr Renshaw – he’ll fix it’ were graffitied on the laminated protocol in an acute care department.”

Ms Duncan said the hospital breached its own Code Brown protocols by allowing elective surgery to continue on the day of the Hillcrest jumping castle tragedy.

She said staff how raised concerns about the breach of protocols were verbally threatened with disciplinary action for “harassing management”.

And she told the committee wage theft was also rife at the LGH under Dr Renshaw’s administration, with some junior doctors owed hundreds of hours of unpaid overtime.

Ms Duncan said people deserved to know the truth.

“I hope my evidence may bring validation for families who have suspected something amiss with their loved one’s death and all the legal documentation they received from the LGH,” she said.

“I also hope that truth and justice may follow.

“People deserve dignity in life and in death. Their families deserve truth.