Queensland's health ombudsman has served a West Australian health service with a notice to produce medical records as part of an ongoing investigation into the conduct of a disgraced former Mackay Base Hospital surgeon.
Letters from the Western Australia Country Health Service (WACHS) to patients treated by obstetrician gynaecologist George Campbell du Toit when he was at the Albany Hospital advise the service has been compelled to produce information to Queensland's Office of the Health Ombudsman.
The letters state WACHS is obliged by law to comply with the notice and produce copies of the requested information to the health ombudsman's office by January 13.
Dr du Toit worked at the Albany Health Campus between February 2016 and September 2020, leaving after being told his contract would not be renewed.
He was then employed at the Mackay Base Hospital as its clinical director of obstetrics and gynaecology for 12 months before he was suspended after a review was called amid concerns about bad patient outcomes.
He resigned from the Mackay hospital four months later and in June last year, Queensland's health ombudsman imposed strict conditions on his practice, including banning him from performing or assisting with surgical procedures.
Women sustained 'lifelong physical and mental harm'
In September, 11 months after the review was announced, the findings were released, described by Queensland Health Minister Yvette D'Ath as "damning".
The report found many examples of care that fell "below an acceptable standard … for a Queensland hospital", describing some of the women's stories as "harrowing".
Some women sustained "lifelong physical and mental harm", the investigators concluded.
Although the summary of findings, released publicly, did not name Dr du Toit, it identified failure to thoroughly investigate, or investigate at all, issues that were arising, particularly after October 2020 – around the time he started as director of obstetrics and gynaecology at the hospital.
"When trainee doctors and midwives tried to raise concerns in relation to consultant behaviours, clinical practice and outcomes, their concerns were dismissed by senior staff," the summary said.
"Clinical incident monitoring during this time was problematic and incomplete, with serious surgical complications not reported or investigated."
Advocate 'relieved' investigations continue
Patient advocate Beryl Crosby, who successfully agitated for the Mackay review after being contacted by whistleblowers and patients, said she was "relieved" Queensland's health ombudsman was continuing to investigate Dr du Toit.
Albany patients of Dr du Toit also contacted Ms Crosby after hearing of the results of the Mackay review.
"We need to get to the bottom of how this doctor was allowed to be employed in Mackay, and to continue to harm women, after his contract wasn't renewed in Western Australia and after patient complaints there," Ms Crosby said.
"We need to stop practitioners moving from hospital to hospital, or state to state, without their history being made known to the next employer. That's the problem.
"If Mackay Base Hospital had been aware of complaints against this doctor in Albany before they hired him, it may have saved all those Mackay women a lot of trauma."
WACHS compelled to give information
The WA Country Health Service did not answer questions when contacted by the ABC about the patient letters.
"As this is an active OHO investigation, it would be inappropriate for us to comment," a spokeswoman said.
The WACHS letters said they had been issued with a notice by the Office of the Health Ombudsman (Qld) under Section 228 of the Health Ombudsman Act 2013 (Qld).
"The notice compels us to produce information for a matter under investigation in relation to the conduct of a health practitioner," the letters say.
"The notice is compulsory – that is WACHS is obliged by law to comply with the notice."
Queensland's Office of the Health Ombusdman said it did not comment on matters "that may be under investigation".
"This is due to privacy and confidentiality reasons and to protect the integrity of any investigation that may be ongoing," a statement said.
But the statement noted the health ombudsman took "registration action against Dr George du Toit" on June 27 last year.
OHO said any person with a complaint about a health service or practitioner was encouraged to contact OHO on 133 646 or oho.qld.gov.au.
Attempts have been made to contact Dr du Toit through his lawyers.
