REMEMBER WHEN

GOLD COAST BULLETIN Saturday, May 7, 2005

ROYAL Commissioner Tony Morris, QC delivered a summons to the Gold Coast Hospital – and minutes later was ordered off the premises by security guards.

Speaking to The Bulletin outside the hospital, Mr Morris, the commission of inquiry head investigating the “Dr Death” scandal, was told to leave because permission to be photographed on the property had not been given by hospital management.

As media photographed Mr Morris in front of the Gold Coast Hospital sign, two security guards demanded to know who they were.

Explaining they were from the Gold Coast Bulletin, reporters were told to get off the property. “If you don’t have permission and haven’t gone through the right channels, then you have to get off the premises,” said one guard.’’

Mr Morris said nothing, just smiled and quietly walked to the public footpath.

The incident occurred just moments after Mr Morris had left a meeting with the hospital’s district management, where he delivered a summons demanding all documents and evidence relating to whistleblower Dr Jan Howes and her husband Professor Laurie Howes, the hospital’s recently appointed director of cardiology and the cardiovascular research unit.

Mr Morris arranged the emergency meeting after receiving a letter from Premier Peter Beattie at 2.30pm which directed his attention to this week’s reports in the Bulletin about Dr Howes.

Dr Howes said her husband had been told by district manager Jeff Hollywood that her contract would not be renewed after she spoke out about the hospital’s appalling working conditions and the bullying management.