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Another senior hospital doctor is in trouble with Auckland health bosses after speaking out.
The Head of Orthopaedic Trauma at Auckland Hospital, Bruce Twaddle raised concerns about patient safety at the city's new hospital on ONE News a fortnight ago.
He has become the third doctor to be hauled before health bosses to explain himself for being critical of the new hospital.
His union said he did the right thing.
"In essence he's being intimated and bullied because he's carrying out his responsibilities as a good patient advocate," said Ian Powell of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists.
Twaddle said the shortage of bed numbers at Auckland's new hospital will severely compromise patients.
Auckland Hospital managers would not talk about their meeting with Twaddle on Friday but ONE News understands it was tense and lasted an hour.
Twaddle was grilled about damage done to the hospital's image.
The senior doctors' union has already started personal grievance cases for two Auckland hospital intensive care specialists. They were disciplined after speaking out about the hospital's ability to deal with the SARS virus.
But the senior doctors' collective employment agreement allows employees to enter into public debate and dialogue over matters relevant to their professional and clinical expertise and experience.
The agreement also states that the hospital must recognise the primacy of employees personal responsibility to their patients.
Employment lawyer Peter Cullen believes that, on the face of it, the agreement is enough to protect Twaddle.
"He certainly seems to be a person who's got the knowledge, is in a position to speak and is speaking very clearly about something that concerns him. And no doubt will concern the population who will receive health care in that area," Cullen said.
It is claimed that Twaddle's orthopaedic colleagues support his concern about fewer beds in the new hospital.
