Health minister agrees to investigation in wake of surgeon’s suspension

The NSW Auditor-General’s office will investigate allegations of targeted disciplinary action within Sydney Local Health District in what appears to be a last-ditch effort to fend off a mutiny among Concord Hospital staff.

Health Minister Ryan Park and senior doctors agreed to the probe one day before the hospital’s Medical Staff Council (MSC) was due to hold a vote of no confidence in NSW Health leadership and demand a parliamentary inquiry into the NSW health ministry.

The doctors’ demands, fuelled by the suspension of outspoken spinal neurosurgeon Dr Raoul Pope, threatened to spark a statewide revolt among public hospital clinicians fed up with alleged widespread governance failures and a lack of accountability within NSW Health.

In an email sent to members of the MSC on Wednesday, former chair Dr Winston Cheung said Park agreed to an investigation into the disciplinary processes at Concord.

“We have been asking for an independent, external investigation into aspects of governance for four years, and finally this request has been actioned,” the email read. “The scope of the investigation will be determined by the NSW Auditor-General without interference by the government or NSW Health.”

Cheung said he expected the investigation would examine any allegations of a “weaponisation” of policy to discipline staff who have raised concerns.

Cheung’s email counselled that the vote of no confidence should not proceed on Thursday.

Park said in a statement “a lot of work” had gone into improving Concord Hospital in recent years but acknowledged more could be done.

“That’s why, with my support, NSW Health has asked the Auditor-General to provide his independent expertise and guidance on reviewing the situation and charting a positive way forward,” he said.

In July, this masthead revealed that Pope had received a disciplinary letter from the hospital’s people and culture team about his emails and LinkedIn activity, which were critical of hospital management.

Pope was told his actions were “undermining staff confidence in leadership” and “inconsistent with your obligations to protect the reputation and interests of SLHD and NSW Health”.

Following the Herald’s article, Pope was suspended without pay from his role as visiting medical officer at Concord.

The disciplinary action was “a risk management measure” due to “risks to staff or patient health, safety or welfare”, the people and culture team advised in an internal memo seen by the Herald.

An Instagram video of Greens health spokesperson Dr Amanda Cohn sharing the news of Pope’s suspension in parliament amassed more than 300,000 views this month and was widely circulated among clinicians, adding pressure on the government.

“Why do essential frontline health workers continue to be punished by this government for their advocacy for better health services?” Cohn said.

In a statement, Cohn said the Auditor-General’s investigation was an “important acknowledgement of the seriousness of the issues that frontline staff have been raising, and a valuable next step”.

Cohn said she would still pursue a wider parliamentary inquiry.

“Health care workers must feel safe and supported to be able to raise issues about their workplace and patients’ safety,” she said.

In a statement, a NSW Health spokesperson said staff wellbeing was taken very seriously.

NSW Health also asked the auditor-general to consider a review of the district’s internal budget allocation processes.

“NSW Health is confident that with the full co-operation and engagement of all stakeholders the public interest will be served, with any further necessary improvements identified and implemented,” the spokesperson said.

NSW Health Secretary Susan Pearce on Monday circulated a letter which proposed the audit, but according to Cheung’s email this was “simply not sufficient”.

In Cheung’s email to doctors, he said he hoped the staff who had “resigned or who have suffered will finally get justice and closure”.

He called the meeting with Park “very constructive” and said the group – which also included the MSC chairs of Canterbury Hospital and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital – discussed issues including resourcing, staffing and the social media policy.

Both the doctors’ union and opposition MPs have criticised the social media policy, introduced by NSW Health in November last year.

When questioned in budget estimates on Wednesday, Fatima Abbas, the deputy secretary of people, culture and governance at NSW Health, said the policy was not designed to suppress freedom of communication.

“The intent is not to discourage appropriate discourse or discussions about issues,” she said. Abbas could not answer how many clinicians had been suspended under the policy, as she said the information was not collected centrally.

The MSC “should wait for the terms of reference for the investigation from the Auditor-General before making any further decisions on this matter”, Cheung’s email read. “But I expect this engagement from them will only be positive.”

With Anthony Segaert

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