Dr Peter Wirth is accused of yelling at an elderly patient and “inappropriate treatment of a junior colleague”
A SACKED Mackay Hospital emergency doctor claims he was never told he was under investigation or allowed to respond to allegations against him before he was dismissed.
Dr Peter Wirth is appealing the Mackay Health and Hospital Service’s decision to fire him in January 2015.
The case was mentioned in the Brisbane Supreme Court last week. In 2014 the hospital began an investigation into “communications” issues within the emergency department including what Dr Wirth said, in documents before the court, was his own “alleged conduct”.
MHHS lawyers said Dr Wirth routinely ignored nurses – a claim Dr Wirth has denied.
A Queensland Industrial Relations Commission document from earlier this year revealed the hospital accused Dr Wirth of yelling at an elderly patient and “inappropriate treatment of a junior colleague”.
Law firm Clayton Utz carried out an investigation and allegedly found there were sufficient grounds to fire Dr Wirth.
In documents filed for the appeal, Dr Wirth claimed he had been “denied natural justice” because he was not told about the allegations against him.
The court has ordered some documents be sealed which meant APN Newsdesk could not view them.
Dr Wirth said he was told he had nothing to fear from the investigation and, when he was interviewed, the allegations were not put to him.
“The breaches of natural justice include a failure to provide all relevant documentation to (Dr Wirth); to advise him, at the relevant time, that alleged inappropriate conduct on his part was the express subject of an inquiry at which he was directed to attend, and give him an opportunity to respond before findings were made,” the documents read.
The Mackay Health and Hospital Service declined to comment as the matter was before the courts.
The case is continuing.
– APN NEWSDESK