Hospital’s ‘Fake Patients’ Claim Under Investigation

A regional Victorian hospital is under investigation after allegations staff and their family members posed as patients during a visit by the state’s health minister. It is alleged 10 staff or relatives presented to Colac Area Health’s urgent care department within half an hour on Aug. 9, when Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas toured the hospital in the state’s southwest. All 10 of the allegedly fake urgent care arrivals were recorded in the hospital database, before being cancelled without being discharged after the minister left, the Colac Herald reported this week. Ms. Thomas said her department has appointed an external investigator. She promised communications between her office and the hospital would be made available to the investigator and confirmed no request was made to the hospital to ensure the clinic was busy for her visit....