Mackay Base Urologist: Sets Record Straight

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Written by Rachael Smith

Mackay Base Hospital’s busiest surgeon, Dr Daryl Stephens, conducts over 100 operations a month and sees 120 patients in clinic every week.

When he was suddenly suspended from duty three weeks ago, the national media got hold of the story and dug deeply into his professional career, looking for additional ways to discredit him and add further injury to his story.

They painted a story of incompetence - but while those that didn’t know him judged a mis-represented version of events, built upon speculation rather than fact, it was his own patients that gave him the strength to fight back.

Able to continue practicing at the Mackay Mater Hospital while he served a four-week suspension at the Mackay Base, Dr Stephens was visited by 27 of his Mater patients on the first day after the story broke around the country.

All of them took his side without question.

“My first three patients were in tears when they saw me, I got three hugs and all were supportive, there was not one single cancellation,” he said.

“When I finished at 4.30pm, I was in tears. I’ve had nothing but support. I’m a very private person but the outpouring and the support has been a bit overwhelming.”

In the profession of saving lives, there are a multitude of checks and systems to ensure every procedural element is adhered to, with no exceptions.

The media storm that ensued last week reported that Dr Stephens had ‘blown his nose’ in the operating theatre which was the reason he was subsequently suspended.

Dr Stephens says he has since been able to remember the incident.

“My registrar was operating on the patient and I was leaning over the top helping him,” he explained.

Dr Stephens remembers leaning over with his head close to the drapes and believes it was a person behind him who made the complaint.

“I don’t remember doing anything like wiping my nose, but I may have moved and given that impression.”

A kind-hearted man who likes to believe the best in others, Dr Stephens says he does not blame them for reporting him.

“The [person] is a delight and I’ve got no criticism of them,” he said,

“I think that they didn’t understand how under that situation things can escalate, they are an absolute sweety and an absolute professional.”

“The standard of surgical care at the Base is far beyond any other hospital I’ve worked at before”

Digging deep into his history, media agencies discovered that Dr Stephens had been involved with another case in Perth where he had failed to give pathology results to one of his cancer patients.

An accurate account of this is that the pathology results were sent to the hospital but not to the rooms.

He had booked the patient for review after three months and the pathology report arrived within two.

Dr Stephens saw the patient two weeks later.

“I was the only urologist in a hospital as busy as Mackay,” explained Dr Stephens.

“I had no registrar, no resident and we were swamped.

“There was a very small growth on the patient and I wanted to keep my eyes on it.

“Of the five ways of looking after it, I ticked three, but I didn’t do two so there were omissions on my part no doubt about that – but at the end of the day there was no harm to the patient.”

This case dates back to 2013, but the tribunal did not take place until 2018, two years after he started working at Mackay Base Hospital.

For the first 12 months Dr Stephens volunteered for all his cases to be reviewed by two colleagues and during this period there were no concerns raised.

His new employers were aware of the tribunal, the outcome of which saw a mark placed on his record for five years.

This is due to lapse in January 2023.

Since this incident, Dr Stephens has practiced at Mackay Base and developed a strong, trustworthy reputation with all his patients.

A humble man at heart, Dr Stephens grew up “dirt poor”, living at Broadmeadows in Melbourne, a few streets away from infamous gangland figure, Carl Williams.

His father died when he was young and by secondary school, Stephens already knew he wanted to be a doctor.

“I never felt I was disadvantaged, I was working three jobs and I loved it!” he said.

“I just scraped into medicine, and I see surgery as a calling - if you want to do what’s good, you have this amazing capacity, and if you keep on doing good then that’s absolutely fantastic.”

Now, almost 45 years later, Dr Stephens has two adult children and a career he is immensely proud of.

“I’m proud of my surgical record. Patient’s welfare is absolutely number one for me and I love working at the Base,” he said.

“It is one of the most wonderful places I’ve ever worked – in surgery I work in theatre, clinics and the ward, and it’s just wonderful.

“The nursing staff, the medical staff and my fellow surgeons are totally devoted, it’s a pleasure to work there.

“The standard of surgical care at the hospital is far beyond any other hospital I’ve worked at before.”

Dr Stephens has almost finished his four-week suspension and will be reinstated to full duties next week.

Image: Dr Stephens will return to work at Mackay Base Hospital next week

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