Toni Hoffman

Toni Ellen Hoffman received the 2006 Australian of the Year Local Hero Award for her role as a whistleblower in informing Queensland Politician Rob Messenger about Jayant Patel a surgeon who was the subject of the Morris Inquiry and later the Davies Commission.

She originally began to raise doubts about the ability of Patel with management and other staff. Both doctors and surgeons who were familiar with his work were also deeply concerned.

It was alleged that a number of patients who were not directly under Patel's care were being treated and even operated on when no procedure was necessary.

Australian Story aired on 27th of June 2005 details Hoffman's experiences during Patel's tenure at Bundaberg.

The failure of her concerns to be investigated more thoroughly may have been the cause of a number of patient deaths. The lack of support and even deterrence from her colleagues make her actions all the more meritorious.

The Queensland Public Hospitals Commission of Inquiry mentions this in 3.427 (i):

Until early January 2005, Dr Keating repeatedly advised Mr Leck thatMs Hoffman’s complaints were unjustified and largely personality drivenwhen he should have appreciated (particularly in the context of othercomplaints) that they raised genuine and concerning medical issues. [http://www.qphci.qld.gov.au]

The fact that Patel worked extremely long hours and was performing a huge number of procedures was seen to be a good thing by hospital management, he was even awarded employee of the month at one point.

Hoffman faced ridicule for suggesting that his presence was not beneficial and as a last resort chose to bring the matter into the public arena by approaching local MP Rob Messenger.

She is commended in the Commission of Inquiry in paragraph 3.432:

I would also like to pay tribute to certain people whose care, passion or couragewas instrumental in bringing to light the matters covered here. First andforemost of those is Ms Hoffman. She might easily have doubted herself, orsuccumbed to certain pressures to work within a system that was not responsive.She might have chosen to quarantine herself from Dr Patel’s influence by leavingthe Base or at least the Intensive Care Unit. Instead, and under the threat ofsignificant detriment to herself, Ms Hoffman persistently and carefullydocumented the transgressions of Dr Patel. I would also pay tribute to MrMessenger, the Member for Burnett. He provided a voice for staff concernswhen no others seemed to exist and, although it has not been the subject of thisreport, he was forced, in the course of so doing, to endure animosity from anumber of quarters. [http://www.qphci.qld.gov.au]

Messenger too was criticised for his stand until Courier Mail journalist Hedley Thomas did a Google search on Jayant Patel and found that he had faced disciplinary action for negligence in the United States.

Hedley Thomas was also mentioned in the Commission Enquiry 3.433:

Finally, I would like to thank the media for reporting the work of this Commissionin a way which was generally responsible, and Mr Hedley Thomas of theCourier-Mail in particular, without whose persistence much of this story may haveremained untold. [http://www.qphci.qld.gov.au]

The Commission of Inquiry also states through the evidence of Dr Woodruff in 3.418 (w):

He said that the situation in Bundaberg was not unique and there hadbeen aberrant surgical practices in other parts of Queensland. Theyhave often been picked up, however, by credentialing, or throughmorbidity and mortality meetings. He said that, if Dr Patel had beenworking in a major tertiary hospital, any sub-standard performancewould have been "very evident." [http://www.qphci.qld.gov.au]

References

External links

* [http://www.qphci.qld.gov.au Queensland Public Hospitals Commission of Inquiry]
* [http://www.australianoftheyear.gov.au/pages/page25.asp Australian of the Year Awards]
* [http://www.abc.net.au/austory/content/2005/s1400735.htm Australian Story]
* [http://www.culturecult.com/spiked2.htm Essay by Roger Sandall]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4080164.stm BBC report from 2005]
* [http://www.walkleys.com/winners/2005/winners/thomas.html Walkley Award for Hedley Thomas]
* [http://www.abc.net.au/rn/lawreport/stories/2006/1782252.htm#transcript Radio National Law Report - the Whistleblower]