Medical student helped flatmate watch heart surgery
A MEDICAL student who helped her builder’s apprentice flatmate watch heart surgery at Wellington Hospital will complete her studies, after an investigation blamed the breach on a ‘‘series of misunderstandings’’.
The finalyear student had been on placement at the hospital and gave scrubs and a swipecard to her flatmate, who observed the three hourplus cardiac bypass surgery on August 25.
A doctor who granted her request for the man to be in theatre had wrongly assumed he was also a medical student. Last month, Capital & Coast DHB released its own report into the incident, saying the fact no formal procedure was in place to check students’ ID cards when they entered theatre left an ‘‘unacceptable gap’’, exploited by an ‘‘enormous betrayal of trust’’.
However, the University of Otago’s own investigation has now concluded there was no betrayal, rather, ‘‘a series of genuine miscommunications and misunderstanding’’.
The student told investigators she wanted to encourage her friend’s dream of being a surgeon by arranging for him to view an operation, and meet surgical staff.
‘‘The student raised the possibility of making arrangements of that kind with a senior member of University of Otago staff, believing the staff member understood the person was not yet a medical student,’’ University of Otago Wellington dean and head of campus Prof William Levack said.
‘‘The staff member confirms the discussion took place and that it would have left the student encouraged to proceed to seek approval from hospital staff. In hindsight, the staff member acknowledges a missed opportunity to discuss in more detail exactly what the student had in mind.’’
The investigation report noted the student ‘‘believes it would have been clear to [the senior staff member]’’ that she was talking about a nonmedical student as she ‘‘recalls discussing the observer’s hope to gain entry to medical school in due course via HSFY [health sciences first year], and also because, had the observer already been a medical student, it would not have been necessary for [redacted] to have been involved in making arrangements on his behalf’’.
She was in the final year of a sixyear degree, and completed a sixweek placement at Wellington Regional Hospital’s intensive care unit.
In August, she messaged a cardiothoracic registrar, asking, ‘‘I have an aspiring cardiothoracic surgeon called [name redacted] who would be very keen to see a case. Let me know if that would be possible.’’
She used an IT system to look up a surgery, and followed up with the registrar, ‘‘just regarding my friend coming to see some cases we were wondering if Tuesday works’’.
‘‘Tuesday would work well,’’ the doctor replied. That morning, August 25, the builder’s apprentice texted the registrar, and was told to meet at the theatre. He entered the hospital through a connecting door to the Otago School of Medicine, dressed in scrubs, overshoes and a hat, and used the medical student’s swipe card to get into the theatre area.
The university’s investigation found the student breached process by accessing the IT system and handing over her swipecard.
‘‘While the breaches should not have occurred, they take on a less serious complexion when the student’s honest belief in the appropriateness of the observer’s attendance at the procedure are understood, and that they should not be careerending for the student,’’ Prof Levack said.
The student ‘‘has displayed genuine remorse’’, and apologised to the patient involved, the DHB and university. She has selfreferred to the Medical Council, and the situation was likely to be considered when her registration application is processed.
Because of being stood down during investigations, she would not graduate with her peers, nor be eligible to be awarded her degree with distinction, which she was on track to achieve.
‘‘In light of these consequences, and the salutary nature of the fitness to practise process, no additional punitive action was considered necessary,’’ Prof Levack said. — The New Zealand Herald