Overseas Healthcare Worker Threatened at Aged Care, What Are His Options?

Newbie aussie on 18/01/2023 - 19:51
Last edited 19/01/2023 - 08:50 by 1 other user

Hi, so a friend (overseas qualified, recently arrived in Australia) got threatened at an aged care facility today.

The allegation being that the treatment he provided caused exacerbation of pain for a patient. It seems that this person mentioned having contacts with 'higher-ups' in medical governing body to ensure that his medical registration would be terminated, and they plan to sue him.

His company (one of healthcare service providers) didn't care much & the aged care asked him to talk to his manager at the service company. He seemed traumatized by the whole episode and reached out, I didn't know what to advise him in this situation, so thought I could get some pointers here.

Please refrain from roasting/negative comments, seeking genuine responses which I could use to help him. I don't have much more information that this & don't want to name the people or companies involved.

Thanks

Education & Work

Comments

  • Muzeeb on 18/01/2023 - 19:54
    +1

    If your "friend" was genuinely negligent then I guess all you can do is say good luck and suggest calling a help line service.

  • Iwantthebestprice on 18/01/2023 - 20:01

    I’m assuming the person who was angry knows how something was done previously like wound changing etc which didn’t cause that much pain, and the way your friend did it this time was worst?
    I’ve had blood taken before from one lady who did an amazing job. A second blood test I did the nurse was terrible I told her to stop it was that bad.. so he could be telling the truth.

  • brendanm on 18/01/2023 - 20:01

    Sounds made up.

  • akaakmdm on 18/01/2023 - 20:02
    +1

    Your friend should contact his professional indemnity insurance provider and get medicolegal advice. They can also see a GP, especially one well versed in workplace matters, to support.

  • spackbace on 18/01/2023 - 20:07
    -1

    I'd suggest your friend get out of the system in Australia if they get affected too badly by mental or physical assaults, such is the nature of the industry unfortunately

    • parisienne on 19/01/2023 - 22:31

      Sorry,but that is categorically wrong.No one goes to work to be physically or mentally assaulted.I obviously don't know what you do for work,but if you work in any way,shape or form with the public ( or people in general for that matter), should YOU expect to not get "affected too badly" by any form of assault from those people ( because such is the nature of humans in general today unfortunately) ?
      Staff are leaving on mass in no small part because of the treatment dished out by patients today,and I cannot wait to see how the public cope when there are even less staff than there are now…..it will be a special kind of hell,and it will be because of that thinking that it will occur.

      • spackbace on 19/01/2023 - 23:28

        Staff are leaving on mass in no small part because of the treatment dished out by patients today

        Yup, so you're agreeing with me, that it's a shit industry where this is commonplace…

        • parisienne on 20/01/2023 - 20:24
          +1

          Sorry,but that is not how your reply reads …it looks as if you are saying that "this is how it is,get out if it's too much for you",but if you mean that this is a common occurrence and that getting out is the best option to avoid being treated like crap,then yes,I do agree.

  • Gunnar on 18/01/2023 - 20:10
    +1

    So who threatened the action? Another staff member? A resident of the facility? A family member of a resident?

    Who is the agency? Ahpra or another agency?

    In all honesty it’s hard to say until you know what happens with that threat until something eventuates from it. A lot of the time it’s a an empty threat anyway.

    Even is/when it gets to an investigation state it’s quite a lengthy process to get through that because things are done as a proper investigation and a fact finding process.

    My take on it is that is I wouldn’t worry too much about it until something actually happens. By what you’ve written it sounds like a BS empty threat (no one who genuinely has contacts who matter would brag about them)

  • pao2x on 18/01/2023 - 20:14

    Depends on what kind of health practice and which state

  • [Deactivated] on 18/01/2023 - 20:15
    +1

    Yet another sensationalist title

    • Ocker on 19/01/2023 - 07:46

      Why differentiate between an "overseas" worker or an Australian worker?

  • CurlCurl on 18/01/2023 - 20:43
    +1

    Care to share the ethnicity of your friend?

    • djkelly69 on 18/01/2023 - 21:07

      How is this relevant?

      • CurlCurl on 18/01/2023 - 21:28

        It's relevant as the resident may have a dislike of people with certain ethnicity.

        In case you haven't noticed it does happen.

        • djkelly69 on 18/01/2023 - 22:17
          +5

          Yes, it is obvious the resident could be an old racist.

          I just don't see how trying to work out what flavour of racist the resident might be adds to the discussion.

  • MagicMushroom on 18/01/2023 - 21:04
    +4

    treatment he provided caused exacerbation of pain for a patient

    Sounds too minor for ahpra to care about it

    • pao2x on 18/01/2023 - 21:40

      this

  • freefall101 on 18/01/2023 - 22:08
    +4

    The old person sounds like an average old person and your friend just got a massive culture shock. Old people in Australia whinge about everything. I worked in a petrol station during uni and I recall 3 threats of lawsuits by old people and countless threats to "report us to the government" none eventuated.

    Some people are just horrible people, they will bitch and moan about everything because it makes them feel better. You only need to worry when you get a call from a lawyer (and even then, just get your own and move on). Unless they actually did something negligent, they're fine.

    But they might want to reconsider aged care if one old person having a go at them rattled them.

  • brad1-8tsi on 18/01/2023 - 23:13

    the aged care asked him to talk to his manager at the service company.

    Did they do this?

  • holdenmg on 19/01/2023 - 07:55
    +1

    Hi.

    Here is a Link to: AHPRA - The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency

    Has a concern been raised about you?
    https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Notifications/Has-a-concern-been-ra…

    I'm not sure if they cover your friend (or not) but they may be able to point them in the right direction.

  • bobbified on 19/01/2023 - 10:31
    +2

    ….this person mentioned having contacts with 'higher-ups' in medical governing body……

    Everyone's cousin's friend's neighbour's uncle knows someone high up.

    When some people are angry, they lose control and all sorts of bullsh!t comes out of their mouth. The ones that will actually do something often don't say anything and just do.

    • johninmelb on 19/01/2023 - 19:50

      Everyone's cousin's friend's neighbour's uncle knows someone high up.

      In my 72 trips around the sun, I have never known personally, or had any relatives, friends or neighbours who "knew someone high up." Guess that's why I've had it tough. Had to fight my own battles and not rely on others to "pull rank" and help me.

      Reckon this nonsense is another variation of the old "DYKWIA" (Don't you know WHO I am) routine, so beloved of the self-important!

      And yes, a lot of people like to big note themselves and make empty threats. Many of us have probably been on the receiving end of that sort of crap.

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