Latest news with #interventionalRadiology
ABC News
08-07-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Westmead Hospital doctors withdraw resignations after service faced near-collapse
An entire unit of doctors at one of Sydney's busiest hospitals have withdrawn their resignations after threatening to leave en masse. Ten interventional radiologists at Westmead Hospital tendered their resignations in June, citing concerns around outdated equipment, lack of staff and pay. Interventional radiologists are critical doctors who perform a broad range of procedures and are essential for major and trauma surgeries, and high-end obstetric care. The Western Sydney unit also sees patients at Blacktown Hospital, but only has two dedicated angiography machines, which are designed to take pictures of blood vessels. Both machines are over 15 years old and one of them has broken down. The doctors met with new chief executive of the Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD), Amanda Larkin, and executive director of operations Alison Derrett on Monday, who promised better staffing levels, new equipment and improved pay conditions. "No one wanted to quit, we simply wanted equipment and resources to do the job properly and safely," one doctor who spoke to the ABC on the condition of anonymity said. Health Minister Ryan Park blamed the rift between doctors and medical executives on a "communication breakdown". "I don't accept that it should have gotten to this stage," he said. "I believe there's been a breakdown in communication, and I believe there needs to be a reset in culture." In a statement, a spokesperson for the WSLHD said interventional radiology services at Westmead remain fully staffed and operational. It said discussions with interventional radiologists had been positive and were ongoing. Deputy chair of the Westmead Medical Staff Council Jenny King said doctors were concerned it took speaking to the media to achieve a result. "We don't want to be ignored," she said. "We know there are not endless resources ... but we want to see some effort and some belief in the things that we tell people." The interventional radiologists said they will still consider resigning in August if there was not any progress. "If we lose all of our senior clinicians, you can't just replace them with any old doctor, there's so much experience in there," Dr King said. The hospital went under review after staff raised concerns about lengthy wait times for routine scans that detect cancer. Last week, Mr Park apologised to Westmead Hospital patient Joshua Maxwell after he waited 210 days for open-heart surgery that was supposed to be done within 90 days. According to figures from the the Bureau of Health Information (BHI), in the first quarter of 2025, there were more than 8,587 patients waiting longer than clinically recommended for surgery. That's an increase of 151 per cent on the same time last year, when there were 3,417 patients waiting longer than they should. Mr Park told the ABC that since the BHI figures were released, the overdue surgery list had been reduced to 5,400 in May.
ABC News
27-06-2025
- Health
- 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.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Mikin Patel, MD and Osman Ahmed, MD Join Joint & Vascular Institute
Former University of Chicago professors among nation's leading interventional radiology specialists LIBERTYVILLE, Ill., June 17, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dr. Mikin V. Patel and Dr. Osman Ahmed have co-founded the Joint & Vascular Institute. Both doctors specialize in performing minimally invasive imaging-guided procedures to treat a multitude of diseases and health conditions, many of which once required open surgery. Dr. Patel completed his diagnostic radiology residency at the University of Chicago Medical Center and a fellowship in Vascular and Interventional Radiology at Northwestern McGaw Medical Center. After working at the University of Arizona Medical Center, he returned to the University of Chicago as an Assistant Professor of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, where he taught other physicians how to treat patients effectively using advanced endovascular techniques. "I'm excited to offer academic-level care to patients in the convenience of a patient-focused outpatient clinic," Dr. Patel said. Dr. Ahmed received his medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine. He completed his diagnostic residency at the University of Chicago and his fellowship training in vascular and interventional radiology at Stanford University School of Medicine. In addition to his clinical expertise, Dr. Ahmed is a pioneer in the field of musculoskeletal embolization in the United States and has been published in several peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Ahmed added: "Vascular and interventional radiology is one of the fastest growing and most innovative fields in medicine. We provide minimally invasive options to patients and their doctors in the greater Chicago area that, in many cases, are safer, yet just as effective, as their surgical alternatives." The doctors' expertise includes minimally invasive treatments for cancer, vascular disease, uterine fibroids, benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate), internal hemorrhoids, and thyroid nodules, as well as orthopedic embolization procedures that treat conditions such as adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder), plantar fasciitis, knee osteoarthritis and hip bursitis/osteoarthritis. Unlike surgery, vascular and interventional radiology procedures to treat these conditions are performed on an outpatient basis, require no hospitalization or general anesthesia, carry less risk and offer a much faster recovery. Additionally, they are less expensive than surgery and covered by most insurance plans and Medicare. Joint & Vascular Institute Joint & Vascular Institute is dedicated to offering innovative, minimally invasive solutions to help patients achieve relief from pain and improve overall health. Serving the northern Chicago area, the practice specializes in advanced procedures designed to treat a variety of conditions without the need for traditional surgery, helping patients recover quickly and resume their daily lives. For more information visit View source version on Contacts Media Contact: Mikin Patel, MD Joint & Vascular Institute847-584-3959mvp@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
