Two independent reviews have concluded that an overseas-trained unregistered doctor at Port Augusta has been discovered to have deliberately misrepresented himself to access the hospital’s emergency department.
The doctor, awaiting registration, worked in the emergency department for six days between April and May with reviews finding that he intentionally lied about his registration status and criminal history.
He had been offered an intern position while awaiting registration, but the reports revealed that he repeatedly deceived staff about the progress of his registration application.
The reviews were handed to SA Health on Wednesday, with SA Health CEO Robyn Lawrence stating the doctor’s name was on the roster due to the anticipation of his registration, leading to his access to the hospital but that this practice will change based on the recommendations from the incident.
The doctor is currently unregistered and under investigation by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.
The Minister for Health and Wellbeing, Chris Picton, expressed serious concern over the case’s deception and emphasized the need for improvement in systems to prevent such incidents in the future.
