As has been widely reported we recently acted on behalf of the family of Julienne McKay-Hall the woman who tragically died following weight loss surgery. As reported, the Coroner’s findings are a scathing condemnation of both the relevant surgeon Dr Ahmad’s care and that of nursing staff at St John of God Hospital in Murdoch. A copy of the coroner’s findings can be provided, if you contact us (see email details elsewhere on the site).
An interesting legal issue which arises from the decision is the question of a medical practitioner’s obligation to advise prospective patients of limitations imposed upon their practice and particularly, restrictions in terms of the locations at which they are accredited to operate and any limits on the types of procedures they may perform.
My view has always been that a medical practitioner’s obligation to advise their patient of all information likely to be significant to them in determining whether or not to undergo treatment, most particularly surgical treatment, includes an obligation to inform the patient of any imposed limits on their capacity to practice medicine and in relation to their range of services. Rightly or wrongly, if the issue is information likely to be considered significant by the prospective patient, as it is, it is a subjective test. The test is not what the patient should consider significant in deciding on treatment choices.
I have no doubt that the overwhelming majority of patients would say that the fact their proposed surgeon is not permitted to perform particular surgery or has been suspended from practice at a particular hospital, because of complication rates etc, would be very significant indeed to them in deciding whether to proceed with treatment at such surgeon’s hand. Similarly, and this is a repeating issue in the cosmetic surgery area, the fact a surgeon’s formal training may have been in Ear Nose + Throat surgery rather than plastic surgery, would I am convinced, be likely to be significant to a patient contemplating cosmetic breast surgery.. I use this example, not as an extreme example of unsuitability: there are several well-known examples of ENT trained surgeons working in cosmetic breast surgery, in Perth.
I suspect, though I would be pleased to be wrong, that this disclosure obligation is not something commonly met. It would be interesting to know the regulator’s views on this topic and any advice provided to practitioners subject to limits upon their practice as to such disclosure obligations.