Adelaide Women’s and Children’s Hospital bosses accused of ‘gagging, threatening and intimidating’ staff

Bosses at one of the state’s main hospitals are embroiled in a secrecy row amid claims they are ‘gagging, threatening and intimidating’ staff - claims management rejects. In a leaked bulletin, hospital management warned medicos about adhering to a public service code of conduct that bans speaking to the media or publicly criticising their workplace. Amid mounting industrial unrest in the crisis-plagued SA Health, the document said secrecy would “maintain the reputation” of the North Adelaide-based hospital, its staff and clinicians. But critics condemned the bulletin, issued on Thursday and obtained by the Sunday Mail, as threatening and a crude attempt at silence. “This update in my view is a deliberate attempt to intimidate frontline doctors about the need to improve resourcing and health services for the women and children of South Australia,” SA Salaried Medical Association senior industrial officer Bernadette Mulholland said. “Gagging and threatening our doctors on these issues is a desperate attempt to hide the truth from the community. “These doctors are dedicated to our women and children and should not be gagged by the (hospital) and should be heard.” The gag row emerged after The Advertiser revealed details of letter signed by 215 hospital doctors warning services such as childhood cancer and neonatal were “on the verge of collapse”. Under the heading titled “our rights and responsibilities”, WCH chief executive officer Lindsey Gough urged workers to “contribute good news stories” to communication staff. Warning that permission must be granted for speaking publicly for the hospital or SA Health, she said public servants must not breach a code of ethics despite workers wearing “different hats”. “It is important that all public sector employees adhere to this code to maintain the integrity of and public confidence in the public service,” she wrote. “It further ensures that we maintain the reputation of our organisation, our clinicians and our staff; and that we safeguard patient and consumer confidentiality.” Unions are escalating public campaigns and have urged WCH medicos to share concerns. Other action includes new adverts and public appeals but doctors have ruled out strikes that affect patient services. The hospital has also launched a second round of voluntary redundancy applications. Labor’s health spokesman Chris Picton labelled the attempt at silence disgraceful. “They should be free to speak up about their serious concerns for the services our sickest children rely on,” he said. “The Liberals think we should hear only from their spin doctors and not real doctors. “It is gross negligence that instead of listening and acting on the serious concerns raised by doctors, the Government is instead threatening them. This looks like the actions of some tin pot dictator rather than a free country.” Health Minister Stephen Wade said he was furious at the bulletin. “I support clinicians rights to speak out - whether it be to a union or publicly,” he said in a statement. “I supported speaking out in opposition and I support it in Government.” Women’s and Children’s Health Network chief executive officer Lindsey Gough defended the bulletin and said it was not “aimed at any one staff member or group”. “We regularly remind staff of policies, responsibilities and processes through a variety our communications methods,” she said. “We are always supportive of our staff and their rights to raise their concerns, and are always willing to have open discussions around any issues.”