THE architects of the state’s health reforms have faced a barrage of threats and abuse for being involved in the major overhaul, including one incident that has been referred to police.
Doctors, nurses and allied health professionals who helped design the Transforming Health plan say that colleagues and the public have questioned their integrity and commitment to professional ethics.
Threatening and abusive comments have been personally directed through phone calls, text messages, emails, social media and even made in person in hospital corridors.
Health Minister Jack Snelling lashed out at the treatment of the clinicians, whom he said had worked in their own time to help improve the healthcare system.
“I think it’s pretty appalling they have been made to suffer for that and be subject to personal abuse,” he said.
Transforming Health ambassador and oncologist Professor Dorothy Keefe said that while all clinicians involved knew they were walking into a political minefield, they did not expect negative feedback to become personal.
About 60 doctors, nurses and allied health professionals worked on the plan and about a dozen of those who fronted it publicly have personally been the subject of nasty attacks.
One female clinician felt so concerned for her personal safety she referred the incident to police to be followed up.
Mr Snelling unveiled the State Government’s large-scale reforms earlier this month, which included plans to close the Repatriation General Hospital and Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre.
It would also downgrade emergency departments at Modbury and Queen Elizabeth Hospitals and reduce Noarlunga Hospital’s ED to a walk-in service bypassed by ambulances in favour of upgraded EDs at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Flinders Medical Centre and Lyell McEwin Hospitals.
Prof Keefe said she had been accused of “selling out” her profession to work on the plan.
“Most of the feedback and commentary has been constructive. However, it is very disappointing that some people are unable to think beyond ‘what is in it for me’ and then resort to personal attacks on the integrity, ethics and motives of those who are involved in Transforming Health,” she said.
“We need clinicians to engage in this process, so threats made against them are potentially damaging to the whole system, and the outcomes for South Australian patients.
“There are policies around what needs to be referred to SAPOL and a very small amount has needed to be.”
However, Prof Keefe said the vast amount of positive feedback had helped to validate the clinicians’ work.
Mr Snelling said many of these clinicians had worked on the plan out of hours because they wanted to help improve the healthcare system.
“I’m an elected politician, so I expect these sorts of things but your talking about people who aren’t in public life … they have nothing personal to gain from this,” he said..
“I understand a lot of it’s been personal in nature, questioning the personal integrity and ethics of some of the clinicians involved.
Feedback among interest groups has been mixed. Last week, Noarlunga Hospital Emergency Department doctors united to protest against the downgrading of the hospital’s ED, warning that lives would be lost.
The former head of Obstetrics at Flinders Medical Centre claimed about 260 babies would be affected by plans to shift the most acutely ill newborns from that hospital to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
Lyn Such, the widow of former Fisher MP Bob Such, who died from a brain tumour last year, spoke out yesterday against plans to close the Daw Park Hospice where her husband died.
Consultation on the plan closes on Friday, about three weeks after it was released.
Opposition health spokesman Stephen Wade, yesterday, called on the Government to extend the consultation period and said the lack of detail in the proposal and short time allowed for comment was a “very serious concern”.
Mr Wade said the Opposition had received another letter sent to Mr Snelling from a group of senior clinicians outlining their concerns over the changes to the Noarlunga Hospital ED.
“The southern suburbs need an emergency department and they need a Government that is willing to listen to medical experts,” Mr Wade said.