Following review of numerous submissions from stakeholders and two public hearings, the Senate Standing Committee has found that AHPRA's failure to provide information and transparency in its complaints process has led to both practitioners and notifiers losing...
Gemma McGrath
Abuse of Process in Disciplinary Proceedings
SAT proceedings were commenced by the Medical Board of Australia (MBA) against the Practitioner in late 2014 following receipt of a notification from the patient's widow in 2012. The notification related to the performance of an angioplasty procedure for the patient...
WA HACC Transition to Commonwealth
A new arrangement for home and community care and specialist disability services will come into effect from 1 July 2018, with the Commonwealth Government assuming full funding, policy and operational responsibility for these services, bringing Western Australia into...
What is the scope of cancellation of registration when a practitioner is registered in more than one health profession?
The HCCC sought deregistration of the practitioner as both a midwife and as a nurse. It argued that the findings concerning the practitioner's conduct as a midwife were equally applicable to her knowledge and skills in the practice of nursing. The Tribunal noted that...
Hospital wins appeal in appendicitis case
The claim arose from the alleged negligent care the Plaintiff received as a patient at Fremantle Hospital (the Hospital) in 2009 when it was said that staff delayed in the diagnosis of his appendicitis. It was alleged that the Hospital was negligent by: failing to...
Dependency tables used to assess damages in fatal accident claims to be updated
The late Mr Norris died from liver disease in 2011, at the age of 52. He was survived by his wife, Dr Norris, and their two teenage sons. In 2013 Dr Norris sued Dr Routley, her late husband’s treating specialist, who accepted that his negligent failure to refer Mr...
Accreditation to work at private hospital does not give rise to a contract
The anaesthetist, who had worked at the Hospital for many years, claimed he had been bullied by two nurses at the Hospital in 2013 and 2014 and, as a consequence of his complaint to hospital management, he lost the opportunity to work on a particular surgery list...
Fake Nurse convicted and ordered to pay over $40,000
Two separate actions were brought against Nicholas Crawford by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, one in Queensland and one in Western Australia in relation to 14 offences arising from his falsely claiming to be a registered health professional. Mr Crawford...
Bleach treatment of elderly patient leads to disciplinary action
A NSW Professional Standards Committee recently found a Registered Nurse guilty of unsatisfactory professional conduct in relation to a complaint about her care and treatment of a patient in an Aged Care Service. The patient was an elderly lady with deteriorating...
State Administrative Tribunal Annual Report 2015-2016
Vocational Regulation matters, which include disciplinary and professional regulation of health practitioners, lawyers, security agents and real estate and settlement agents, comprised only 3% of matters in the Tribunal for 2015/16 period, with 80% of those matters...