Free Pass for Death Doctors

The ability of health professionals to speak out on patient safety could be seriously compromised by the Howard government’s IR changes according to Queensland nurses.

The issue was highlighted by whistleblower nurse Toni Hoffman, who raised concerns about the controversial former Bundaberg Base Hospital director of surgery Doctor Jayant Patel.

Patel, dubbed "Dr Death" by sections of the media, is now the subject of a major government inquiry.

Hoffman was given a standing ovation when she addressed the Queensland Nurses Union (QNU) conference last week.

Hoffman said she had been labelled a troublemaker seeking her fifteen minutes of fame after reporting concerns about the surgeon.

"I kept hitting brick walls, as you saw, and at the time, no one else was complaining," Hoffman told the conference. "So it was easy to label me as a troublemaker and to say it was a personality conflict."

"This shows the danger of the Howard government's agenda," says Gay Hawksworth, secretary of the Queensland Nurses' Union. "The ability of our members to speak out on professional issues without fear for their jobs is vital in maintaining standards in public health.

"Of special concern would be the vulnerable position of those in the private sector, especially the aged care sector, where the ability to access unfair dismissal protection and the impact of individual contracts undermines nurses sense of job security."

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Last modified: Tuesday, 15-Nov-2005 20:37:35 EST