Sydney hospital boss departs after cancer diagnosis delays revealed
The head of one of Sydney's busiest health districts has departed after it emerged patients with cancer were waiting up to a year for essential procedures due to a massive backlog of cases.
Less than an hour before they were due to move a vote of no-confidence in Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) chief executive Graeme Loy, doctors at Westmead Hospital received an email from NSW Health secretary Susan Pearce informing them Loy would be leaving the position next week.
'Graeme has been a passionate advocate for western Sydney, committed to championing key reforms in digital health, integrated care, and workforce development,' Pearce wrote, crediting his role in managing the COVID-19 pandemic in western Sydney and operating the state's largest vaccination hub at Qudos Bank Arena.
Former South Western Sydney LHD boss Amanda Larkin will act as interim chief executive until a replacement is found.
Loy was appointed to the role in 2018 and has overseen the development of the Westmead Health and Innovation Precinct, as well as early planning and design for a new hospital at Rouse Hill.
Loading
He had a brief stint as interim chief executive of Sydney LHD after Teresa Anderson resigned following a vote of no-confidence in her leadership by doctors at Concord Hospital.
Almost 200 senior doctors had gathered at Westmead on Thursday evening for an urgent special meeting to vote on a no-confidence motion in Loy, after this masthead revealed at least 21 patients had their cancer diagnoses delayed as the hospital's waiting list for endoscopies surpassed more than 3300 people.
The vote proceeded despite Loy's resignation, and was passed unanimously. All 192 doctors present voted to send a delegation to meet with NSW Health to discuss their next steps.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Interventional radiologists collectively resign from Sydney's Westmead Hospital
The entire group of interventional radiologists at the troubled Westmead Hospital have resigned after lengthy negotiations with hospital executives failed to reach a resolution. Interventional radiologists are critical doctors who perform a broad range of procedures and are essential for major and trauma surgeries. The group have now collectively resigned and Westmead Hospital is faced with the prospect of having no interventional radiology services from July 8 unless it can come to an agreement. One doctor, who spoke to the ABC on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to speak publicly, said without interventional radiologists the hospital would struggle to run a range of essential services, like trauma surgeries and high-end obstetric care. The interventional radiologists had been negotiating over what they argue is outdated equipment in their department and pay which they say does not reflect their expertise or the stress of their job. Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) has been contacted for comment. Health district chief executive Graeme Loy on Thursday stepped down from his role, hours before a scheduled meeting that was to hold a vote of confidence relating to allegations of poor patient safety and delayed cancer diagnoses at Westmead Hospital. The week prior, head of the gastroenterology department Jacob George, who had raised concerns with management, was dismissed, with one senior doctor saying it was retaliation for speaking out. "For many years we have been struggling to have our concerns listened to, and the executive has been aware," the doctor, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, told the ABC. Senior staff also said they raised concerns for years about clinical wait times for routine scans that could detect preventable cancers. Some patients had waited up to three years. The ABC understands wait time impacted screenings in departments including cardio, renal, dermatology and gastroenterology. "It's a major risk and it's something we shouldn't be letting people down on," the anonymous doctor said, adding that delays could mean hundreds of patients who have cancer could receive late diagnoses or remain in the dark about their disease. NSW Premier Chris Minns said he was concerned about "changes" at Westmead and expected "better outcomes". The premier said while he would not rule anything out, an inquiry into wait times would be the slower option. "We are doing an investigation … but ultimately your taxpayer, your average citizen would expect a better service," he said. "The shortest distance between A and B, between where we're at today and an improved service is the one we'll take, and if that can be done internally that's what we'll do." A letter sent to hospital staff by Westmead Medical Staff Council deputy chair Jenny King said this was a particular concern "for those patients with a positive faecal occult blood screen". Overnight, a delegation of about 200 doctors passed a motion to demand the opportunity to meet with Mr Park about their concerns. "The issue of failure to provide care for those patients at high-risk malignancy has long been documented," Dr King wrote. NSW president of the Australian Medical Association, Kathryn Austin, said the issues were symptomatic of a lack of investment in staffing at public hospitals. "It's a sad state of affairs that it's come to this point and the clinical concerns haven't been addressed," Dr Austin said.
Sydney Morning Herald
6 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Sydney hospital boss departs after cancer diagnosis delays revealed
The head of one of Sydney's busiest health districts has departed after it emerged patients with cancer were waiting up to a year for essential procedures due to a massive backlog of cases. Less than an hour before they were due to move a vote of no-confidence in Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) chief executive Graeme Loy, doctors at Westmead Hospital received an email from NSW Health secretary Susan Pearce informing them Loy would be leaving the position next week. 'Graeme has been a passionate advocate for western Sydney, committed to championing key reforms in digital health, integrated care, and workforce development,' Pearce wrote, crediting his role in managing the COVID-19 pandemic in western Sydney and operating the state's largest vaccination hub at Qudos Bank Arena. Former South Western Sydney LHD boss Amanda Larkin will act as interim chief executive until a replacement is found. Loy was appointed to the role in 2018 and has overseen the development of the Westmead Health and Innovation Precinct, as well as early planning and design for a new hospital at Rouse Hill. Loading He had a brief stint as interim chief executive of Sydney LHD after Teresa Anderson resigned following a vote of no-confidence in her leadership by doctors at Concord Hospital. Almost 200 senior doctors had gathered at Westmead on Thursday evening for an urgent special meeting to vote on a no-confidence motion in Loy, after this masthead revealed at least 21 patients had their cancer diagnoses delayed as the hospital's waiting list for endoscopies surpassed more than 3300 people. The vote proceeded despite Loy's resignation, and was passed unanimously. All 192 doctors present voted to send a delegation to meet with NSW Health to discuss their next steps.
Herald Sun
18 hours ago
- Herald Sun
Australian HIV self-testing kits now in vending machines in universities, nightclubs from Atomo Diagnostics
More Australians are getting access to free, lifesaving HIV self-testing kits through a national rollout of vending machines across the country in universities and nightclubs. In a groundbreaking move to help break down barriers to testing and address the issue of social stigma, Sydney-based Atomo Diagnostics is now supplying thousands of self-test kits to sexual health programs across the nation. The concept of the HIV test is similar to that of a Covid-19 rapid antigen test — but this test works with a finger prick test to get a blood sample. The national rollout program continues to expand, with more vending machines to be installed in Australian universities, in NSW, South Australia and Victoria. Vending machines have also been rolled out in Queensland, with a particular focus on those living in remote communities. In universities, the Federal Government-funded tests are free for all users, John Kelly, CEO of Atomo Diagnostics said. 'The reason for that is that the government has recognised that cost, particularly for young people, could be a barrier to use and they want to make sure that there's more testing and cost isn't a kind of barrier to uptake of testing,' he said. 'So it is subsidised and free to the user and funded through the government.' At the end of 2023, it was estimated that there were 30,010 people with HIV in Australia, according to Health Equity Matters. Mr Kelly said one of the benefits of the tests is that they are 'quick, pretty simple, easy to do and can be done at home, you can do it pretty much anywhere immediately'. He said the feedback from venues where the tests are available was positive, with the vending machines program proving popular with young people, particularly overseas-born migrants in Australia on student visas. '(Many) young people don't have a GP. It's a much more transactional service now with healthcare,' he said. 'And I think for a lot of people, they don't have that doctor to go see or that clinic that they can call. So I think having a discreet, easy to use test in the university that they can access for free has been a game changer.' In NSW, the Ministry of Health's 'My Test' vending machines, branded in distinctive purple, are placed in night-life venues, sexual health clinics, community centres, universities and even a public library. In Victoria and South Australia, the 'CONNECT' program, co-ordinated by Dr Nikki Sullivan, is preparing for its national rollout, expanding from successful trials in South Australia and Victoria to all states and territories. Vending machines will be installed at the University of Melbourne next month, when students return from their semester holidays. It comes after researchers at Melbourne's Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity made a huge step towards an HIV cure by devising a method to deliver an mRNA-based therapy direct to cells, killing the virus as it circulates in the body. Renowned HIV researcher Sharon Lewin, director of the Doherty Institute, said earlier this month that the breakthrough was made when the team was working on a therapy for Covid-19. Meanwhile, Atomo Diagnostics has also called for the Federal Government to run a trial program in Australia, similar to ones currently being held in Spain and US, for at-home testing to be used for pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP. PrEP involves HIV negative people taking antiretroviral medication to protect them and prevent HIV infection. Mr Kelly said the rates of HIV transmission had been falling but challenges remained as people on PrEP had to test negative every 12 weeks, meaning the health system was getting clogged up with thousands of appointments for routine testing. 'In Barcelona, they have adopted an alternative approach where twice a year you can do a self-test at home and show your negative status to stay on PrEP and you then come into the clinic two times a year instead of four times a year,' he said. Mr Kelly said the trial program showed major benefits. 'We think it's the way forward for PrEP testing, to make it more flexible, reduce the burden on clinics and get people the opportunity to do occasional tests at home so they don't have to take a half day off to go into a clinic and queue for three hours to get a test that they could easily do at home.' Read related topics: Wellness
