Toni Hoffman
Encyclopedia
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 surgeon
s 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):
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:
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:
The Commission of Inquiry also states through the evidence of Dr Woodruff in 3.418 (w):
Australian of the Year
Since 1960 the Australian of the Year Award has been part of the celebrations surrounding Australia Day , during which time the award has grown steadily in significance to become Australia’s pre-eminent award. The Australian of the Year announcement has become a very prominent part of the annual...
Local Hero Award for her role as a whistleblower
Whistleblower
A whistleblower is a person who tells the public or someone in authority about alleged dishonest or illegal activities occurring in a government department, a public or private organization, or a company...
in informing Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
Politician Rob Messenger about Jayant Patel
Jayant Patel
Jayant Mukundray Patel , referred to as Doctor Death is a surgeon who is at the centre of a 2005 scandal in which he was accused of gross incompetence while working at Bundaberg Base Hospital in Queensland, Australia...
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 surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
s 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
Australian Story
Australian Story is a national weekly documentary series, produced and broadcast on ABC Television.Since 1996 Australian Story has featured many Australians from diverse backgrounds and reputations...
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 that
Ms Hoffman’s complaints were unjustified and largely personality driven
when he should have appreciated (particularly in the context of other
complaints) that they raised genuine and concerning medical issues.
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
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
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 courage
was instrumental in bringing to light the matters covered here. First and
foremost of those is Ms Hoffman. She might easily have doubted herself, or
succumbed 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 leaving
the Base or at least the Intensive Care Unit. Instead, and under the threat of
significant detriment to herself, Ms Hoffman persistently and carefully
documented the transgressions of Dr Patel. I would also pay tribute to Mr
Messenger, the Member for Burnett. He provided a voice for staff concerns
when no others seemed to exist and, although it has not been the subject of this
report, he was forced, in the course of so doing, to endure animosity from a
number of quarters.
Messenger too was criticised for his stand until Courier Mail
The Courier-Mail
The Courier-Mail is a daily newspaper published in Brisbane, Australia. Owned by News Limited, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, in Brisbane's inner northern suburbs, and it is printed at Murarrie, in Brisbane's...
journalist Hedley Thomas did a Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
search on Jayant Patel and found that he had faced disciplinary action for negligence in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
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 Commission
in a way which was generally responsible, and Mr Hedley Thomas of the
Courier-Mail in particular, without whose persistence much of this story may have
remained untold.
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 had
been aberrant surgical practices in other parts of Queensland. They
have often been picked up, however, by credentialing, or through
morbidity and mortality meetings. He said that, if Dr Patel had been
working in a major tertiary hospital, any sub-standard performance
would have been "very evident."