Roman Hasil and the Whanganui DHB - Health and Disability ...

Opinion 07HDC03504
The minutes of the monthly department management meetings indicate that departmental
management meetings were held on 4 July, 5 September, 3 October, 7 November and 5
December 2005, then suspended until 22 May 2006 as a result of staff shortages. Dr A,
Dr B, the third consultant, the Service Manager of Community and Rural Services
(Service Manager B), and the Head of Midwifery attended these meetings. Dr Hasil was
not expected to attend the departmental management meetings. The matters discussed at
these meetings included funding, service redesign, recruitment in the department and
shortages of midwifery personnel, and clinical issues involving patient safety. At the
meeting on 3 October 2005, Dr A clarified that Dr Hasil would function on the
consultant roster. On 5 December 2005, Dr Hasil’s leave from 19 December 2005 until
the new year was discussed.
There are also minutes from Maternal and Perinatal Review Committee meetings held
on 31 August, 12 October and 30 November 2005, and 22 February and 22 May 2006.
These meetings involved discussion on matters such as policies and protocols (eg, for
pregnant diabetic patients), the national immunisation register, the relationship between
the midwives and the neonatal unit, training on neonatal resuscitation, and case reviews
of neonatal and intrauterine deaths. It appears that Dr A was the only consultant
obstetrician and gynaecologist who attended the committee meetings.
Although attendance at the quarterly Perinatal Review Committee meetings was part of
his supervision plan, 17 Dr Hasil stated that he was not invited to attend these meetings,
the majority of which were held on Wednesday afternoons. I note that the gynaecology
timetable indicates that Dr Hasil was on call all day on Wednesdays and had a
gynaecology outpatient clinic on Wednesday afternoons.
Supervision reports
By March 2006, Dr Hasil had been working at Wanganui Hospital for six months. There
are no records of any supervision meetings or reports (as agreed between Dr A and the
Medical Council) nor of a performance appraisal (which was noted as due on 2
November 2005, according to human resources records). The November 2005 date
coincides with the date the first quarterly supervision report was due.
In addition to the three-monthly supervision reports, the Medical Council also required
Dr Hasil to re-certify through the annual practising certificate process and disclose any
competence, conduct or health issues. Dr Hasil’s practising certificate expired on 28
February 2006. On 17 February 2006, Dr Hasil applied for a renewal of his annual
practising certificate (APC). On 6 March, as part of this process, the Medical Council
asked the DHB for Dr Hasil’s supervision reports (from 8 August to March 2006). Dr A
provided Dr Hasil with a satisfactory report for the period from 8 August 2005 to 7
November 2005, which they both signed on 10 March 2006 and sent to the Medical
Council. Dr A gave a score of “3” (satisfactory) for Dr Hasil’s clinical clerking and
communication, and scores of “4” (above expectation) or “5” (exceptional) for the other
domains of competence, which included a “5” for personal manner. Dr A commented
that Dr Hasil was a valuable member of the team.
17 Refer to Appendix 6, Supervision Plan.
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