Hundreds of former patients of disgraced gynaecologist Simon Gordon will receive free medical reviews with specialists as part of a $9.45 million funding package from the Victorian and federal governments.
The announcement follows revelations in this masthead in February that the Epworth doctor was being investigated by the health practitioner watchdog after being accused of performing unnecessary endometriosis surgeries. Gordon denies the accusations.
Some of these surgeries allegedly involved removing women’s ovaries and fallopian tubes when their medical scans showed no sign of endometriosis.
Federal Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care Rebecca White joined Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas on Thursday to unveil the support measures, which are aimed at addressing some of the ongoing trauma and pain experienced by Gordon’s former patients.
“It’s very sad and devastating that it has happened in the first place,” White said.
“But our hope, and the work we have been doing, is about ensuring that no more women will have to suffer in the way they did.”
The bulk of the funding – $7.45 million from the Commonwealth – will establish six “care navigators” across Victoria’s primary care networks.
They will help patients navigate the complexities of follow-up care and specialist reviews.
A $2 million investment from the Allan government will fund gynaecological reviews for Gordon’s former patients at women’s health clinics at Barwon Health, Monash Health, Eastern Health, Western Health and the Royal Women’s Hospital.
A triage nurse will help patients access and collate their medical records and interpret their scan and test results.
Patients will be able to access referrals for appointments from mid-April via the Women’s Health Victoria endometriosis concerns phone line, which was set up by the state government in February.
More than 100 women have contacted the phone line so far.
“It has been clear and very heart-wrenching that our system has failed these women,” said Thomas.
“The way we can respect their experience is by doing everything in our power to make changes, and to make them as quickly as possible.”
Sarah Hayden first saw Gordon in 2019 in the hope of resolving a niggling pain in her pelvis.
The mother of five had a long history of endometriosis and had heard from other endometriosis sufferers that Gordon was Melbourne’s best surgeon.
But after he operated on her in June 2019 at the Angliss Hospital, a public health service run by Eastern Health, Hayden was left in more pain than ever before.
A nurse in the recovery suite told Hayden that her pain was due to the extensive surgery, which had involved Gordon removing the then 45-year-old’s left ovary and fallopian tube.
“I live in constant daily pain and have bladder issues,” she said.
After revelations emerged in the media that Gordon was accused of performing unnecessary endometriosis surgeries, Hayden requested her medical records from the surgeon.
According to Hayden, the pathology report said there was no evidence of endometriosis and that her ovaries were healthy.
The experience has left Hayden, a former mayor of Golden Plains Shire, author and equine therapist, with little faith in the health system.
She hopes the state and federal governments’ announcement provides Gordon’s former patients with swift, independent health advice. She said younger patients urgently needed help to assess their fertility.
“We have been so traumatised by the health system,” Hayden said. “The least they can do is offer us quick, free support. It is not much to ask when you’ve had someone remove your organs unnecessarily.”
Hayden is now among hundreds of women seeking compensation from Gordon for his alleged role in their ongoing pain and suffering.
Arnold Thomas and Becker lawyers have received more than 500 inquiries from former patients of Gordon, while Maurice Blackburn has received about 400 inquiries.
Gordon told this masthead on Thursday that he would not be commenting further and referred to previous statements in which he denied the allegations levelled against him.
He previously said that he always acted ethically and responsibly and only performed surgery when it was in a patient’s best interests.
“My concern was to try and alleviate pain and restore quality of life for female patients, a cohort once neglected and dismissed,” he said.
The Commonwealth funding will also be used to update Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) guidelines on how to diagnose and treat pelvic pain including endometriosis. The college will also receive funding to provide training to doctors on how to treat the complex condition.
RANZCOG president Dr Nisha Khot said the Women’s Health Clinics were already in high demand and the additional funding would allow them to employ additional staff to ensure Gordon’s former patients were seen in a timely manner.
Earlier this week, Thomas hosted a round table with senior leaders from medical colleges, unions, chief medical officers and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency to explore how to overcome a culture of silence in the medical profession.
The Epworth has appointed a panel of experts to review its clinical governance following the allegations about Gordon.
The review will focus on gynaecological services and look at how the hospital responds to concerns raised by patients and staff, how doctors are credentialled and how clinical practice is overseen.
An Epworth HealthCare spokesman said the announcement complements support services currently available to patients of Gordon including accessing medical records at no cost and discussing options for accessing a second opinion.
Henrietta Cook is a senior reporter covering health for The Age. Henrietta joined The Age in 2012 and has previously covered state politics, education and consumer affairs.Connect via X, Facebook or email.
