Gisborne Hospital Report - Health and Disability Commissioner

Gisborne Hospital 1999 – 2000
Operating Theatre Protocols
4.8 In a group interview with anaesthetic technicians and theatre nurses it was
reported that: “Once he flung a lead apron across the room in orthopaedic
theatre, after speaking to an anaesthetic technician. He would go bright red in
anger. Who knows the reason. It was irrational behaviour.”
4.9 A surgeon described having seen Dr Lucas get angry once. At that time he
saw Dr Lucas throw a plastic syringe into a container from a distance of about
two metres. He said Dr Lucas did not endanger anyone by throwing the
syringe.
Dr Lucas’ explanation
4.10 Dr Lucas denied ever throwing a tray at any time, under any circumstance. Dr
Lucas also denied ever throwing things off the anaesthetic machine. He said
the top of the machine is an important work surface. At Gisborne this surface
was “cluttered” and he remembered that “at least once a blue plastic tray was
accidentally pushed on the floor”. The tray “contained things that would have
been more efficiently stored in the top drawer of the machine as [occurred] in
every other hospital I have worked in”.
4.11 Dr Lucas provided the following explanation about the alleged incidents:
“The account of this as I read it in the newspaper, seemed to conjure up
the image of sharp blood contaminated needles arching across the theatre
near personnel. That did not occur. It was frequently my technique to
kneel on the floor in order to insert the IV cannula into a vein while the
patient’s arm remained hanging down by the side of the table.
Occasionally when I was not successful this first time I would make a
second attempt and while still kneeling push the needle used in the first
attempt out of harm’s way along the floor towards my anaesthetic cart
which sat by the wall some five feet away. This happened about three or
four times while I was in Gisborne. When I did this I invariably did so
after looking to see that no personnel were near by. When the IV had
been started I would pick up the needle and put it in the ‘sharps’
container. The first I heard of this being viewed as a concern was in the
newspaper.”
Management response
4.12 The Group Manager (Hospital) commented to the investigation team that the
issue of sharps throwing was raised after Dr Lucas had left THL. A couple of
anaesthetic technicians mentioned to an anaesthetist, who left Gisborne before
Dr Lucas left, that Dr Lucas was throwing dirty needles around the place
because he was upset. That anaesthetist reported to the investigation team that
the anaesthetic technicians felt physically endangered. The anaesthetist
reported orally passing this information on to the Group Manager (Hospital)
before he left Gisborne. The discussion was “off the record”. The anaesthetist
commented that he had mentioned the matter to the Group Manager (Hospital)
because he felt that the Manager might do something about it.
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