By Kirsty Ross
WERRIBEE Mercy Hospital management has rejected claims it deceived the public, a charge made in an anonymous letter sent to Star last week.
The hospital’s CEO, Stephen Cornelissen, dismissed the accusations, which include claims the Mercy put emergency patients at risk and gave junior doctors too much responsibility, as old news.
“There’s nothing new. Why are we digging up the same story based on an anonymous letter that’s lacking accuracy?” Mr Cornelissen said.
This is the third time in less than two months the hospital has come under fire over problems in the emergency department (ED).
The letter, written by members of the hospital staff and signed “wanting the public to be aware of the facts” outlines a series of staffing problems at the hospital.
“Please understand we have to remain anonymous as we can lose our jobs,” it reads.
It also says that none of the six doctors who resigned over the past year wanted to leave and claims that they were “more than happy to stay”.
The lack of doctors led to the 24-hour emergency department closing down for six hours last month when staff called in sick.
The letter also claims the resignations happened because management failed to listen on issues of wages and conditions.
Mr Cornelissen admitted the change of leadership had caused some ripples but said the hospital was like any other organisation.
“Of course with the change of leadership there are some disgruntled people,” he said.
The letter also states that since the recent appointment and then resignation of the new emergency department director, a number of problems have arisen including a rise in vacant shifts, and shifts filled by substitute doctors.
But Mr Cornelissen said the reshuffling would soon be over and said the roster was 90 per cent full.
“We are interviewing for an emergency department director. I might have good news at the end of next week,” he said.
“Whether the staff will be happy about who we appoint, I don’t know.”
Other accusations include giving inexperienced substitute doctors – locums – and often juniors, too much responsibility, especially during night shifts.
This, the letter says, is putting patients at risk.
The anonymous authors of the letter also accuse a former senior ED director of having “vested interests” in bringing in locums.
However, Mr Cornelissen said he believed the accusation to be “totally untrue”.
The letter also claims the new 22-bed emergency department is still only running with 10 beds and at least four of these are taken up by psychiatric patients.
Mr Cornelissen said the hospital would never compromise mental health patients.
He said the appointment of a new triage nurse had helped deal with the busy emergency area.
“Don’t forget the department was built for a growing community,” Mr Cornelissen said.
“We don’t build a new emergency department for today, we build it for 10 and 15 years from now.
“We are the second fastest growing community in Australia. We will need those beds but do we need them today? No, but we will need them.”
But the staff members that wrote the letter are not convinced.
“Unfortunately we the staff have to pick up the pieces and pretend that nothing is wrong and at the end of the day it is the public that is being short-changed and staff that is being pushed to the brink,” the letter says.
Mr Cornelissen said the hospital was taking the letter seriously and would be investigating the source.
