KEY POINTS:
The Grey Hospital senior doctor who raised concerns about patient safety is leaving her job, as is her colleague.
West Coast District Health Board (WCDHB) confirmed today that joint head of the anaesthetic department, Dr Judy Forbes, had not sought to renew her fixed term contract, which expires late next month.
The other head of department, Dr Susie Newton, had also confirmed she would leave her position on schedule near the end of this month, said chief executive Kevin Hague.
Mr Hague said there had never been any question of Dr Forbes extending her contract beyond June.
The DHB expected her to honour her obligation to complete the contract.
"We have been working for some time now to prepare for the end of the contracts with Drs Newton and Forbes, and we expect that services will continue uninterrupted."
WCDHB would continue to fly anaesthetists in from Durban, in South Africa, as it had done for a number of years.
"WCDHB continues to use the services of the Durban anaesthetists to provide the equivalent of two full-time anaesthetists, out of a complement of four."
If there were any locums who no longer wished to work at Grey Base Hospital - and the DHB knew of none - "then it would be best if they don't".
Drs Forbes and Newton have worked at the hospital as consultant anaesthetists intermittently for over 30 years between them.
Dr Forbes' complaints about patient safety, endorsed by Dr Newton, led to the current Health Ministry investigation.
Dr Forbes has said the hospital could not guarantee patient safety as most systems have broken down.
The two doctors were also outspoken in 2002, when West Coast doctors said Grey Hospital's general surgical services were flawed, mainly because of locums of questionable competency.
A subsequent review by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons found the hospital's general surgery could not be confidently described as safe.
The college made 10 recommendations, most of which have been implemented. However, the hospital has still not met the main recommendation, that it should have three permanent vocationally registered surgeons.
Responding to questions in Parliament yesterday, Health Minister David Cunliffe said the fact one clinician had laid a complaint in a hospital did not amount to any sort of system failure.
"But the assurance I can give West Coast constituents is that we are taking these claims seriously, and that an urgent review has been mounted."
He did not answer directly when asked by West Coast-based National List MP, Chris Auchinvole, for an assurance that Grey Hospital was safe now.
Mr Cunliffe said the proper processes were in place to treat Dr Forbes' allegations very seriously. An urgent review was under way.
The reviewer, Health Ministry chief medical advisor Dr David Galler, had already made contact with Dr Forbes and the WCDHB and would be travelling to Greymouth soon.
- NZPA
