The agency responsible for investigating healthcare complaints and weeding out rogue doctors is in crisis with new statistics exposing a dramatic decline in investigations despite complaints from the public being at an all-time high.
In 2011 the Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) acknowledged it was so cash-strapped it was having to cut both the number – and quality – of its investigations.
In his annual report, the Commissioner, Kieran PEHM, spoke of a ‘‘very challenging year” involving rising complaints that were not being matched with corresponding increases in funding or staff, causing the HCCC to regularly reject public concerns – without even as much as a call to clarify the problem.
Forecasts in this week’s NSW budget papers suggest the Commission is no longer fulfilling its duties as the state’s health watchdog. By the end of the year the HCCC is on course to receive a record 5,185 complaints – 25 per cent more than four years ago. Yet referrals for disciplinary action or prosecution will have dropped 20 per cent to 110 – with actual disciplinary or appeal cases falling by one-third.
The figures coincide with a recent Fairfax Media investigation that uncovered serious failures in the HCCC’s investigatory processes which allowed the now jailed drug-abusing neurosurgeon Suresh NAIR to continue operating on patients at Nepean Hospital for more than five years – despite ongoing knowledge of his ‘‘severe impairment’’.
Opposition health spokesman Andrew McDONALD said: ‘‘Complaints are on the rise, the HCCC is not being properly funded and this is what the people of NSW are left with. The bottom line is, you cannot possibly have a quality healthcare system without a fully functioning HCCC.’’
According to its website, the HCCC ‘‘acts to protect public health and safety’’. However, for many years, there has been evidence to suggest it is in need of an overhaul.
In 2008 the NSW Parliament demanded a formal explanation from the body over its botched handling of the Butcher of Bega case, asking why it took 14 years to act on a string of complaints surrounding the now infamous doctor Graeme REEVES. At that time, Opposition health spokeswoman Jillian SKINNER said it was ‘‘appalling’’ the government was still not treating the REEVES matter seriously, also accusing the then health minister, Reba MEAGHER, of a ‘‘cover-up’’.
But today Mrs SKINNER occupies the NSW Health hotseat and is refusing to comment on a strikingly similar situation involving the HCCC, the Medical Council of NSW and NAIR.
It was not until 2010, when police charged NAIR over the cocaine-related deaths of two sex workers, that he was banned from practising. In the 5 years prior NAIR destroyed many lives, though the exact number remains unclear. At least one victim, Carla DOWNES, is still being denied access to the findings of an HCCC investigation into her own botched treatment.
‘‘The fact that Nair was allowed to get away with working for so long should never be allowed to happen again,’’ Mr McDonald said. ‘‘The problem is, there is another Nair somewhere in our medical system right now. Are we again ignoring the warning signs?’’
Mr PEHM and Mrs SKINNER declined interviews with the Herald.
Assistant Health Minister Jai ROWELL said: ”The NSW government supports the important work of the HCCC.’’ He said this year’s budget allocation was $12.3 million – an increase of $1.45 million since 2010-11, when Labor was in government.