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SCV will contact residents who received a colonoscopy undertaken or supervised by Dr Liu-Ming Schmidt since January 1, 2018 at Albury Wodonga Health, Albury Wodonga Private Hospital or Insight Private Hospital at Gardens Medical Clinic.
Albury Wodonga Health chief executive Bill Appleby said patients could have developed cancer due to the colonoscopies being done improperly, but the risk was low for most people.
"Out of an abundance of caution, all 2000 patients will be contacted, and some of those patients will require a repeat colonoscopy," he said.
"This is a difficult and distressing time for all 2000 patients and their families and we are deeply sorry for their experience.
"This is not the standard of care that they deserve, nor is it the standard of care which we expected to deliver."
IN OTHER NEWS:
An investigation found Dr Schmidt's colonoscopy procedures were incomplete, after a clinician raised concerns about her quick technique in July last year.
SCV's Mike Roberts said the surgeon had been suspended from duties at all three of the Border health services and the Medical Council of NSW would decide in a hearing on Thursday whether the doctor would be suspended from practising across the country.
"This shouldn't have happened to anyone, not to a single person, so for it to happen to 2000 people is a significant issue," he said.
Impacted patients were alerted to the situation by SMS and mail on Thursday, but SCV said it would start phoning patients from Monday to discuss each individual's need for a rescope.
Albury Wodonga Health and the private hospitals are aiming to redo urgent colonoscopies within 30 days and those that are non urgent within six months. Patients will be supported with transport and accommodation costs.
Anyone with immediate concerns can call 1800 950 677. Counselling and support is available on 1300 375 330.
Patients and families can make a complaint to Victoria's Health Complaints Commissioner or NSW's Health Care Complaints Commission and seek independent legal advice.
Concerns about individual surgeons can be reported to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
Further information for impacted patients is available at www.safercare.vic.gov.au
Albury Wodonga Health and SCV have vowed to learn from the error.
Mr Roberts said SCV had made a number of recommendations to Albury Wodonga Health, some - such as strengthening leadership to improve hospital safety systems and commissioning a new software system to monitor the clinical quality of colonoscopies - which had already been enacted.
"I want to provide my assurance that the health system across Victoria and NSW is a safe system," he said.
"It is clear however, that something has gone wrong in this system and part of Safer Care's role and responsibility here is to make recommendations as to how we can continually improve our safety systems.
"We will never have a perfect system, but we should always be continuously improving and learning from these situations.
"The learnings from AWH will not just be applicable here, but as Bill Appleby said, there are lessons here for the Victorian and the NSW systems, and I would say beyond that for Australia."
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