A senior doctor at Sunshine Coast University Hospital, Jason Gibson, has been demoted and had his duties changed after being found guilty of misconduct. The misconduct involved allowing an employee to use echocardiography equipment on her husband without following proper procedures.A senior doctor at Sunshine Coast University Hospital, Jason Gibson, has been demoted and had his duties changed after being found guilty of misconduct. The misconduct involved allowing an employee to use echocardiography equipment on her husband without following proper procedures. The demotion and change in duties were deemed proportionate disciplinary measures given Gibson’s senior leadership position, according to Industry Commissioner Samantha Pidgeon. Gibson acknowledged that he should have asked his employee to use the standard intake and referral procedure, and that his actions could have damaged the reputation of the health service. Gibson’s argument that the employee’s personal use of the equipment had no impact on its availability for public use was considered a “worrying lack of appreciation for ethical behavior and commitment to the public sector system of government” by the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service (SCHHS). Gibson expressed remorse for his actions and acknowledged that he should have had greater authority over the matter in question. However, he argued that the demotion and change of duties were inappropriate, harsh, and disproportionate. Queensland Health, however, contended that Mr. Gibson’s actions constituted a significant departure from the expected behavior of a senior leader within the SCHHS. The SCHHS maintained that Gibson’s misconduct breached public trust and expectations of his professional role, and that a reprimand would not be sufficient to deter other employees from engaging in similar behavior.
A senior doctor working at Sunshine Coast University Hospital has been demoted after being found guilty of misconduct in what Queensland Health calls a serious “breach of trust in his role”.
On February 26, Industry Commissioner Samantha Pidgeon ruled that the single demotion and change of duties assigned to Jason Gibson were proportionate disciplinary measures for a finding of misconduct, given “his senior leadership position”.
Mr Gibson works for Queensland Health at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital as a clinical measurement scientist and consultant director, the decision said.
He has been employed by the health service since December 5, 2011.
The finding of misconduct he sought to challenge at the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission was made last year by Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service (SCHHS) chief operating officer Joanne Shaw.
Ms Shaw stated in her letter to Mr Gibson, which is quoted in Ms Pidgeon’s decision, that Mr Gibson admitted that he knew his employee had used echocardiography equipment on her husband on several occasions prior to 11 February 2023.
Mr. Gibson admitted that he should have asked his employee to use the standard intake and referral procedure.
“The reputation of the health service could be significantly damaged if it became known that a senior manager in your position had repeatedly facilitated the use of health service property for a member of staff’s family without properly following the established procedure for such use, and that this could potentially impact on the availability of such facilities and services to other members of the public,” Ms Shaw said in the letter to Mr Gibson.
The SCHHS said Mr Gibson’s argument that the employee’s personal use of the equipment had no impact on its availability for public use “implies a worrying lack of appreciation for ethical behaviour and commitment to the public sector system of government”.
It was stated that as a senior leader it was critical for Mr Gibson to maintain the highest standards of ethical conduct and ensure that appropriate procedures were implemented to maintain public trust and the integrity of the public sector.
Mr Gibson has been employed by Queensland Health for some time.
Mr Gibson has performed alternative duties at work during the eight months of the disciplinary process (May 2023 to February 2024 inclusive), but pending enforcement of the disciplinary action he is being paid in accordance with his higher HP 6 classification.
The SCHHS told the QIRC there had been a “serious breach of the professional and ethical standards of his leadership role” and a “significant breach of professional and ethical standards”.
“Mr Gibson acknowledges his clouded judgement and acknowledges that he did not properly consider the issue in question due to his significant workload,” Ms Pidgeon said in her reasoning.
“That answer to the question states that Mr Gibson agrees that, with the knowledge he has now, he should have had greater authority over the matter in question and that he is committed to the continued correction of his conduct,” she said.
“While I note that the change of duties to a lower classification level may be challenging for Mr Gibson, I do not find that it is unfair or unreasonable under the circumstances,” Ms Pidgeon said.
Mr Gibson had argued that the new roles identified for him were “not aligned with his career goals and prospects”, the decision said.
He expressed remorse and said his work had contributed “to cardiac services throughout the state, both in terms of his technical knowledge and his leadership skills.”
He argued that the demotion and change of duties were “inappropriate, harsh and disproportionate” and that he should have been given a reprimand instead.
Queensland Health argued that Mr Gibson’s actions constituted a “significant departure from the expected behaviour of a senior leader in the” SCHHS and caused a breach of trust in his role as “senior leader of the” SCHHS.
The SCHHS argued that a reprimand was not severe enough given the “potential damage to public trust and reputation of” the SCHHS, and that a reprimand would not deter other employees from doing so in the future.
The SCHHS argued that Mr Gibson had breached public trust and expectations of his professional role and that he had permitted the ‘misuse’ of public funds for personal purposes.
Mr Gibson did not appeal the disciplinary finding of misconduct.
