More medical practitioner ‘boundary breaches’ reported in Tasmania than interstate

More medical practitioner “boundary breaches”, including sexual breaches, are reported in Tasmania than in mainland Australia. The revelations come after the shocking case of a paedophile nurse.

THE national medical watchdog has revealed it receives more reports over sexual and other “boundary breaches” about Tasmanian health professionals than their interstate counterparts.

In the 2021-22 year until May, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) received boundary notifications relating to 0.21 per cent of Tasmanian health professionals – much higher than the 0.14 per cent for Australian mainland states.

The difference in “mandatory notifications” – where a person is obliged to notify AHPRA if they believe a practitioner is putting patients at risk of harm – was even more stark: 0.29 per cent for Tasmanian compared to 0.15 per cent interstate.

The data was provided by Matthew Hardy, AHPRA’s national director of notification, in a recently-published statement to Tasmania’s child sexual abuse commission of inquiry.

Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government's responses to child sexual abuse in institutional settings. Movenpick Hotel, Hobart Tasmania.

In addition, boundary breach notifications had skyrocketed in Tasmania over recent years – there were 41 in 2021-22 compared to just 21 the year prior, and 11 in 2019-20.

Tasmanian and Launceston General Hospital nurse James (Jim) Geoffrey Griffin. SOURCE: SUPPLIED

Mr Hardy’s statement also reveals that while AHPRA has a memorandum of understanding with police in other states – which sets out the circumstances in which each organisation will disclose information to the other – no such agreement had been set up with Tasmania Police.

He also said he understood that “there may be a view” that AHPRA should have continued investigating Launceston General Hospital paedophile nurse James Geoffrey Griffin after his death.

“I am not of that view. As an agency funded entirely by registrant fees, I believe our obligation is to make judicious use of our resources by taking action against living practitioners who can continue to cause harm to members of the public through their actions when risky behaviour is reported to us,” Mr Hardy said.

A person who bought an old computer from Griffin made a horrifying discovery when they realised the device contained child exploitation material and links to websites.

While they reported the find to Tasmania Police, the notorious nurse and now-deceased paedophile wasn’t charged with child abuse until almost two decades later.

Tasmanian and Launceston General Hospital nurse James (Jim) Geoffrey Griffin.

A separate statement to the commission of inquiry by Peter Graham, Tasmania’s Working with Vulnerable People registrar, revealed the unit had received more than 300 allegations of risky behaviour relating to current and past Ashley Youth Detention Centre employees.

He said from these notifications, the unit identified 69 persons of interest, with 23 still holding a Working with Vulnerable People registration.

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