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  • Doctor linked to baby deaths banned from practising

    Author: AAP

The former director of a Victorian medical service where 11 babies died is unlikely to practice again after being banned for 10 years.

Lee Gruner was a consultant director of medical services at Djerriwarrh Health at Bacchus Marsh from 2009 to 2015.

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In 2016, a scathing review found the babies died in potentially avoidable circumstances at the service between 2001 and 2014.

On Monday, Dr Gruner had her registration 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.

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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 role's requirements could not be adequately or safely fulfilled, the tribunal found.

It also found she continued in her role without requiring a clear and documented statement of her expected professional obligations.

Dr Gruner also 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.

"There's no excuse for those in clinical leadership roles not knowing what is expected of them," Medical Board of Australia chair Dr Anne Tonkin said.

"The buck stops with them. We should not need to go through these tragedies to learn these lessons."

Dr Gruner's was the final tribunal case following investigations into practitioners working at what is now called Bacchus Marsh 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 civil and administrative tribunal, six cautioned and a further six slapped with conditions on their registration.

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