A bureaucratic failure stalled the health ombudsman’s investigation into allegations of sexual harassment and bullying against a Brisbane surgeon and his clinical performance, and a court has quashed hopes of reviving it.
The allegations against Braun – a bariatric surgeon who has worked at public and private hospitals – were made by the Executive Director of Medical Services at the Metro North Hospital and Health Service on February 27, 2019. “The ombudsman decided to carry out an investigation into a number of matters which were the subject of this complaint on March 1, 2019.”The ombudsman asked if he had the power to extend the date for completing an inquiry after that time had passed. And if that failed, he questioned if he was prevented from continuing the inquiry.The health ombudsman took the case to the Court of Appeal, claiming the original judge made two errors.