Safeguarding HealthCare: Private Perspectives Clinical Gov
About
Host Dr David Rankin and Dr Peter Lowthian, Board Director at Epworth HealthCare, will discuss the unique challenges in ensuring high quality, safe care in a private hospital setting.Having the specialist as a VMO, rather than an employee, creates a range of challenges around who has responsibility for patient outcomes, who holds liability when outcomes are unexpected, and what happens when a specialist is no longer welcome at the hospital. Peter and David will explore these challenges, welcoming participation and comment from attendees.
The scenario: As DMS at a private hospital, you become aware that a particular surgeon appears to have poor patient outcomes. Their return-to-theatre rate seems high and their readmission rate within 2–3 days of discharge is higher than their peers. The theatre unit manager reports a frequently raised voice in theatre, with nursing staff feeling intimidated and avoiding the surgeon's lists. You've invited the specialist to meet with you, but they seem to be avoiding your emails and messages. What do you do?
-We'll dig into questions like:
-How do you identify a high-risk specialist before an adverse event occurs — through outcomes, behaviour, or patient experience?
-Where does liability sit when a VMO, rather than an employee, is involved in an unexpected outcome?
-When should profitability factor into credentialing decisions, and when should it not?
-What options exist for engaging external experts or sharing concerns with other hospitals?
We recommend listening to this previous podcast about Governance in Private Health https://omny.fm/shows/safeguarding-healthcare/keeping-things-straight-as-a-board then bringing your questions and experiences to this live session where we'll work through real-world confidentiality dilemmas under Chatham House rules.
Date
Wednesday 15 July 2026 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM (UTC+10)Location
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Safeguarding HealthCare: Private Perspectives Clinical Gov
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