Hospital staff posed as ‘patients’ so their urgent care clinic looked busier during ministerial visit
An inquiry has recommended no action be taken against those who took part in the ruse at a rural urgent care centre.
Staff at a rural hospital pretended to be ill patients, including one who arrived by ambulance, to make its urgent care clinic appear busier for a ministerial visit.
About 10 staff from other areas of the hospital were involved when the Victorian Minister for Health, Mary-Anne Thomas, made her VIP visit to the Colac Area Health Urgent Care Centre in August last year.
According to a new report into the incident, one staff member with an apparent injury even occupied a trolley.
Another arrived by ambulance and was triaged by urgent care clinic staff, the Victorian Department of Health investigation found.
