"My husband's treatment from oncologist & radiologist"

2½ years ago my husband passed away, six months after being diagnosed with early stage oesophageal cancer by an oncologist. He was aged 83 years, physically and mentally well and took no medication when he first visited the oncologist. During this 6 months, he suffered appallingly from the treatment prescribed, lack of duty of care and bullying behaviour by the oncologist.

I kept a daily diary of my husband’s treatment, and there is way more to this story than below.

We followed everything advised by the oncologist, but early in the treatment of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, my husband became very ill in the evening at home. As advised, I rang the number given of the Ivy Suite at SJOG and they rang the oncologist at home who advised that my husband should go to the Emergency Dept at the nearest government hospital (not the hospital where the oncologist was and where my husband had treatment). At 6am the next day my husband was discharged from SCGH, and the following day the oncologist’s office rang and asked my husband to come and see them in SJOG where their rooms are - where we waited 6 hours before the oncologist and their assistant finally came to see him. After 5 weeks of intensive treatment my husband was exhausted and when I questioned being sent to a different hospital the oncologist shouted at me for nearly 10 minutes in front of others, for asking a question about his treatment. I was teary and frightened of the oncologist and my husband was appalled but we didn’t say anything. After, my gentle husband felt that the oncologist was not respectful of us and did not have his best interests at heart and thought about changing oncologist, but, how do you change specialists in the middle of treatment. I visited my husband every day in hospital but after the incident, avoided any contact with the oncologist and I was too frightened to attend scheduled meetings (with my husband) with the oncologist for fear of further outbursts. I couldn’t question, eg why the oncologist prescribed more radiation and chemotherapy when my husband was struggling with an infection each time, etc. because I felt the oncologist wouldn’t listen to me.

And when my husband’s health deteriorated after many sessions of radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy caused such weakness (all referred by the specialist and when he had an infection), the oncologist did not even visit/contact my husband, leaving the treatment to ‘the oncologist’s team’. 35 days out of the 79 days spent in hospital were with an infection, returning to hospital after each chemo/immunotherapy session. It took over 2 weeks for the ‘team’ to bring in an infectious diseases specialist to prescribe the correct antibiotic.

At my husband’s last pre-arranged appointment with the oncologist (18 days before passing) – he was told there was nothing more the oncologist can do. The last time the oncologist saw or had any contact with my husband was 7 weeks prior. A big gap in keeping abreast of your patient, especially when the oncologist’s rooms are in the same hospital where my husband was being treated.

However, 8 days before passing, my (now almost bedridden) husband was referred (by the specialist) to have more radiation. I was told later that he was given palliative radiation, however it was definitely not palliative – I believe it was overservicing (a terminally ill person). It is not palliative (for pain relief/quality of life) when you are administered pain medication before and after, manoeuvred on/off the table, transported, etc) when oral medication can suffice. It had a devastating result causing him to go to emergency at RPH the next day for three nights and then on to Murdoch Hospice where he passed away four days later.

After my husband passed away, I did not hear anything from the oncologist, but did hear from the radiation specialist’s rooms (Genesis) asking when my husband was returning for his next session.

There is a lot more to this story, which I shared with HADSCO and AHPRA. However, both entities closed my file after two weeks – accepting only the specialists’ legally constructed responses and not what really happened. In my letters to HADSCO and AHPRA, I asked several questions, which were never answered. Two years later and HADSCO and AHPRA will still not act on my complaints of bullying, lack of duty of care, overservicing a terminally ill person, etc. I feel their non-action acknowledges that it is acceptable with them. After the shouting incident from the oncologist, my husband contacted the Elder Abuse Line and the WA Cancer Council – both were shocked and referred him to HADSCO and AHPRA ‘where they will take the matter up’ as it was disrespectful and unprofessional. Well, HADSCO and AHPRA are both not interested. Had it been the other way around the result would have been different.

I have found I am not alone in my attempt to get a fair result from HADSCO and AHPRA. There were 7,591 complaints sent to HADSCO in 2023-24, a 3% increase from the previous year, with 100s of negative reviews similar to mine posted online, where their complaint has been closed within the first month without any outcome, and neither HADSCO or the WA Minister for Health will comment.

I read a review online which said “if you are the only one waiting to see the specialist – he is the wrong one to see”. I wish I saw this beforehand because we were always the only ones waiting in his rooms to see this oncologist.

My advice to anyone who may be in the same situation, is that if you do not feel at ease with your specialist, they are not respectful or doesn’t listen to your questions - to quickly seek another.  And if you send your complaint or experience to HADSCO and AHPRA, be persistent as well as seek other avenues.

The memory of my husband’s last 6 months suffering from the specialists’ prescribed treatment and their actions, will remain with me. Also, HADSCO and AHPRA refusing to act and notify the specialists that my complaints have been accepted and kept on file.

All the details above and sent to HADSCO and AHPRA are correct, even the (lack of) number of visits made by the oncologist is verified by Services Australia.