The former director of a Victorian medical service where 11 babies died is unlikely to practice again after being banned for a decade.
Lee Gruner was a consultant director of medical services at Djerriwarrh Health at Bacchus Marsh – northwest of Melbourne – from 2009 to 2015.
In 2016, a scathing review found the babies died in potentially avoidable circumstances at the service between 2001 and 2014.
On Monday Dr Gruner’s registration was cancelled by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
She is also banned from reapplying for registration for 10 years and as she is aged in her 70s is unlikely to practise again.
The tribunal found Dr Gruner failed to ensure the safe delivery of clinical services during the cluster of stillbirths and newborn deaths at the hospital. Three allegations of professional misconduct were proven.
Dr Gruner continued in her role when she ought to have known the requirements could not be adequately or safely fulfilled, the tribunal found.
It also determined she continued in her role without requiring a clear and documented statement of her expected professional obligations.
Dr Gruner failed to ensure the safe delivery of services by not carrying out appropriate staff performance reviews, and not ensuring proper records were kept or that medical staff had the right credentials, the tribunal found.
The consultant started her role working 10 days onsite and 10 days offsite in 2009, but later in her term that dwindled to a couple of days and being available for advice when needed.
She said her role did not include any of the ordinary responsibilities of a medical director and carried with it no responsibility to ensure the safe delivery of services.
The tribunal previously rejected that and found she raised the alarm about an extreme risk to its obstetric service but then failed to follow up.
“There’s no excuse for those in clinical leadership roles not knowing what is expected of them,” Medical Board of Australia chair Anne Tonkin said on Monday.
“The buck stops with them. We should not need to go through these tragedies to learn these lessons.”
Western Health took over management of Bacchus Marsh Hospital in July 2021.
“As Dr Lee Gruner was not an employee of Western Health, it would be inappropriate to comment on the findings by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal,” the health service stated.
Dr Gruner’s was the final tribunal case following investigations into practitioners working at the hospital between October 2011 to February 2013.
Former obstetrics director Surinder Parhar was banned from applying for registration for 12 years while former nursing director Julia Meek and maternity services manager Mary Little were banned for 10 years.
Senior midwives, junior doctors, a clinical support director and a physiotherapist were also reprimanded.
Concerns were raised about 43 registered health practitioners at the hospital between 2008 and 2015, with nine referred to the tribunal, six cautioned and a further six slapped with registration conditions.
