Fake doctor who snuck into Wellington Hospital surgery allegedly used a student’s magnetic card

A member of the public who snuck into major surgery allegedly used a magnetic card belonging to a medical student that is now banned from Wellington Hospital.

Several separate investigations are underway after the massive breach, which has led to an urgent security review at the hospital.

The Weekend Herald understands that the intruder used a hospital swipe card that belonged to a University of Otago senior medical student who was in the hospital, and is now prohibited from entering DHB grounds while investigations are being conducted .

The man was able to find his way to an operating room, despite not being an employee or having worked at the hospital, raising the possibility that he had addresses.

A spokesperson for Capital & Coast DHB declined to comment when asked about the swipe card, citing an ongoing investigation.

DHB Medical Director John Tait previously confirmed that a member of the public underwent surgery under “false pretenses” in the last week of August and that “we understand that the actions of a medical student were involved in the rape.” .

The matter of the man who entered the operating room was referred to the police, who refused to take any action. The University of Otago has launched its own investigation into the allegations.

The DHB has not said how long the person was in surgery or what stage they were in, what they did when they were in the operating room, and whether the patient was naked or exposed. The patient has been apologized.

Richard Lander, executive director for surgical affairs at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, told the Weekend Herald that, as reported, the incident was “a serious violation of both patient privacy and the hospital’s duty of care regarding informed consent. “, and the university supported the withdrawal of the medical student while the investigations are carried out.

“Our expectation is that the presence in the operating room of any person other than a health professional would require the express consent of the patient.

“The hospital certainly has rules and regulations on which personnel can be in operating rooms at any given time, and we hope that in light of this incident there will be a comprehensive review of those regulations.

The Privacy Commissioner’s Office was notified by DHB. A spokesperson did not say whether he had received a complaint from the patient or his family, citing the requirement to maintain secrecy.

Actions following past investigations have included making recommendations and, where appropriate, publicly naming organizations that have committed serious privacy violations, particularly if there are systemic issues.

The University of Otago says it cannot confirm or discuss the details of the allegations involving its student, who is currently unable to perform clinical placements.

The Wellington Health Professionals Association, which represents the interests of medical students studying at the university’s Wellington campus, said its only knowledge of the case came from media reports.

False identity medical violations are rare, but there are recent examples.

Overseas, a woman posed as a medical student to observe surgeries and even help transport a patient to recovery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, USA, having gained access via the monitoring staff when they entered the rooms.

Last year, a 23-year-old was jailed for a year after pleading guilty to practicing unauthorized medicine, after posing as a doctor and diagnosing a patient with a neck tumor in a consultation room at the Center. Irvine Physician of the University of California.

In New Zealand, an infamous case involved fake Polish psychiatrist Linda Astor, who in 1996 tricked her into getting a job at the Hutt Valley DHB, where she prescribed electroconvulsive therapy and removed a mandatory treatment order for a patient who later beheaded his girlfriend. .