Health dept suspends clinical director

Dr Bruce Hall, the clinical director in medicine at Liverpool Hospital, has been suspended by the New South Wales Health Department.

Ian Southwell, CEO of the South Western Sydney Area Health Service (SWSAHS), said Hall was still employed as a renal physician by the hospital even though he has stepped down as a director of medicine. He said that as far as he knew Hall was still employed by the University of New South Wales (UNSW) as an academic to do his research.

In the interim, Prof Hugh Dickson will act as director of Liverpool Hospital's Division of Medicine.

"On the evening of the 26th April the clinical director was informed by letter that he was to step down from his duties at Liverpool Hospital," Southwell told Australian Biotechnology News.

Last month, UNSW conducted an investigation into allegations of scientific fraud and bullying by Hall, which found that most of the allegations had no substance. "We did our own independent investigation following an allegation by one of our staff to us about inappropriate workplace behaviour, including bullying," Southwell said.

"The SWSAHS investigative report was carried out over a few months by an individual outside NSW and was received about 10 days ago and considered by the board on April 24."

Based on the report, the SWSAHS board elected to stand Hall down until they received appropriate advice and feedback from Hall.

"We've given him [Hall] to the end of the week to get back to us before any further action is taken," Southwell said. "We view the situation very seriously."

To help the board form an opinion, SWSAHS had also requested the investigation report from the dean of the UNSW Faculty of Medicine. But, Southwell said, "We have not received a response to that."

Meanwhile, UNSW has launched an in-depth report into the allegations by an external independent inquiry comprised of eminent scientist Sir Gustav Nossal, UNSW vice-chancellor Prof John Niland and chancellor Prof John Yu, and internationally recognised medical researchers. The report should be completed later this year.

"We will be looking at the independent UNSW inquiry too, when it comes out," Southwell said.