THE Wagga Base Hospital nurse convicted of drink-driving on his way to work the night shift in the hospital's high-dependency unit will be investigated by the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC).
In a statement sent to The Daily Advertiser yesterday, Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) director of operations Jill Ludford said the matter had been reported to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), as was required by law.
Phillip McCarron, 48, had his driver's licence suspended for seven months and was fined $1000 in Wagga Local Court this week after he was convicted of driving with a mid-range blood alcohol reading of .117 - more than twice the legal limit. While the offence has now been dealt with in a criminal sense, it is also possible Mr McCarron's career could be under threat.
According to a spokeswoman for AHPRA, the matter will be referred to the HCCC, which has the power to deregister medical professionals or place conditions on their right to practise.
Ms Ludford accepted the fact that Mr McCarron's case would throw a spotlight on the broader issue of health professionals turning up to work with alcohol in their system but was confident in the measures that are in place to combat this.
"Staff have a responsibility to ensure they do not attend or resume work impaired by alcohol or other drugs," she said.
"Managers have a series of clearly defined steps to follow under (NSW Health's alcohol and other drugs policy's) guidelines, including monitoring changes in work performance and attendance ... and to initiate disciplinary action for problems related to the misuse or abuse of alcohol or other drugs." NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner said she was happy with the way MLHD had handled Mr McCarron's case.
"I am advised MLHD has reported the matter to AHPRA, as required by law," she said.
SRC: The Daily Advertiser
