Military GP with a mission
21st Feb 2011
Melinda Ham reports on how Dr Julian Fidge’s whistleblowing caused a national controversy.
Being labelled a whistleblower has not deterred Dr Julian Fidge, a Wangaratta-based GP from country Victoria.
In fact, he regards it as a compliment and after being rebuffed by the Australian Defence Force (ADF), he is now taking his concerns to the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade.
Dr Fidge, a Reserve ADF medical officer in Melbourne with the rank of Captain, made national headlines recently when he claimed the ADF was critically short of medical personnel, including doctors, nurses and dentists, due to an entrenched culture of demeaning these professionals.
Talking to the press about these allegations has predictably landed Dr Fidge in hot water; the ADF has referred him to a psychologist and he has faced more than a dozen charges of insubordination. While the charges have all since been withdrawn, he remains suspended from the Reserves.
“I entered the military with my eyes wide open. I knew the army was a large organisation and very hierarchical, but I never expected this,” Dr Fidge says.
Citing a “deep ethos of public service and duty”, Dr Fidge joined the armed forces in 1980 as a reservist at age 16 and a student at Melbourne High School. He then served in the regular army from 1981 to 1985 as a signalman.
After completing a Bachelor of Pharmacy and then medical qualifications, Dr Fidge returned to the army as a reserve medical officer in 2005 in the 4th Combat Service Support Battalion in Melbourne.
He had his first taste of working overseas for the military with a stint in East Timor for four months in 2006, conducting aeromedical evacuations.
“Having a Black Hawk helicopter as your taxi was amazing and to be part of Australia’s effort to stabilise that country was fantastic,” he says.
At the same time though he saw firsthand that contract medical teams didn’t always have the best judgment. He recalls one incident where as the result of incorrect treatment, a soldier lost his hearing in one ear and had to be discharged from the army.
It’s been this experience of service and a continuing sense of duty that motivates Dr Fidge to pressure the joint ADF High Command for change for the good of the common soldier, he says.
“It’s not about me,” he says. “I have a pretty perfect life; a busy country practice, great friends.
I’ve got nothing to lose. I am doing this because of the effects on the soldiers who are receiving substandard care from contractors.
“We rely on contract medical teams because Australian medical officers are intimidated and harassed looking after their own troops and quit.”
Dr Fidge says he has numerous examples of this “toxic culture” compiled from current and past serving ADF medical officers, which he says mocks their years of training, experience and expertise. He cites incidents of sergeants over-riding decisions of medical officers over whether or not a sick soldier was fit for duty.
Dr Fidge’s allegations have been broadly dismissed by the Defence Department.
A spokesperson told MO there is “no evidence to suggest that there is a morale problem among ADF medical officers or that there are widespread concerns that medical officers are treated poorly”.
While admitting medical staff shortages, the department denies the issue is hindering the ADF’s ability to provide health support to current operations where they are using contractors instead.
Interestingly though, Dr Fidge’s recent complaints have coincided with several recent changes by the ADF, including the introduction of a new salary and career structure that recognises healthcare professionals’ specialist and post-graduate qualifications.
The Federal Government has also approved new programs to better the flexibility of medical officers’ career paths.
But Dr Fidge says these steps are still woefully inadequate and the ADF is just skirting around the real issue of transforming the culture and attitudes in the armed forces towards medical officers.
“I am going to continue pursuing the issues of healthcare to ADF personnel until I get what I want,” he says. “I’m strongly supported by my medical officer colleagues.”
In fact, he regards it as a compliment and after being rebuffed by the Australian Defence Force (ADF), he is now taking his concerns to the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade.
Dr Fidge, a Reserve ADF medical officer in Melbourne with the rank of Captain, made national headlines recently when he claimed the ADF was critically short of medical personnel, including doctors, nurses and dentists, due to an entrenched culture of demeaning these professionals.
Talking to the press about these allegations has predictably landed Dr Fidge in hot water; the ADF has referred him to a psychologist and he has faced more than a dozen charges of insubordination. While the charges have all since been withdrawn, he remains suspended from the Reserves.
“I entered the military with my eyes wide open. I knew the army was a large organisation and very hierarchical, but I never expected this,” Dr Fidge says.
Citing a “deep ethos of public service and duty”, Dr Fidge joined the armed forces in 1980 as a reservist at age 16 and a student at Melbourne High School. He then served in the regular army from 1981 to 1985 as a signalman.
After completing a Bachelor of Pharmacy and then medical qualifications, Dr Fidge returned to the army as a reserve medical officer in 2005 in the 4th Combat Service Support Battalion in Melbourne.
He had his first taste of working overseas for the military with a stint in East Timor for four months in 2006, conducting aeromedical evacuations.
“Having a Black Hawk helicopter as your taxi was amazing and to be part of Australia’s effort to stabilise that country was fantastic,” he says.
At the same time though he saw firsthand that contract medical teams didn’t always have the best judgment. He recalls one incident where as the result of incorrect treatment, a soldier lost his hearing in one ear and had to be discharged from the army.
It’s been this experience of service and a continuing sense of duty that motivates Dr Fidge to pressure the joint ADF High Command for change for the good of the common soldier, he says.
“It’s not about me,” he says. “I have a pretty perfect life; a busy country practice, great friends.
I’ve got nothing to lose. I am doing this because of the effects on the soldiers who are receiving substandard care from contractors.
“We rely on contract medical teams because Australian medical officers are intimidated and harassed looking after their own troops and quit.”
Dr Fidge says he has numerous examples of this “toxic culture” compiled from current and past serving ADF medical officers, which he says mocks their years of training, experience and expertise. He cites incidents of sergeants over-riding decisions of medical officers over whether or not a sick soldier was fit for duty.
Dr Fidge’s allegations have been broadly dismissed by the Defence Department.
A spokesperson told MO there is “no evidence to suggest that there is a morale problem among ADF medical officers or that there are widespread concerns that medical officers are treated poorly”.
While admitting medical staff shortages, the department denies the issue is hindering the ADF’s ability to provide health support to current operations where they are using contractors instead.
Interestingly though, Dr Fidge’s recent complaints have coincided with several recent changes by the ADF, including the introduction of a new salary and career structure that recognises healthcare professionals’ specialist and post-graduate qualifications.
The Federal Government has also approved new programs to better the flexibility of medical officers’ career paths.
But Dr Fidge says these steps are still woefully inadequate and the ADF is just skirting around the real issue of transforming the culture and attitudes in the armed forces towards medical officers.
“I am going to continue pursuing the issues of healthcare to ADF personnel until I get what I want,” he says. “I’m strongly supported by my medical officer colleagues.”
No comments:
Post a Comment