Addicted doctor 'free to practise'

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Addicted doctor 'free to practise'
By Michelle Wiese Bockmann
June 08, 2005
From:
A MENTALLY ill, drug-addicted doctor who provided "seriously inadequate" care to a patient who later died is free to practise medicine.

The Medical Board of South Australia yesterday confirmed it has placed no restrictions on Stuart Mauro, despite an inquest finding he had a 10-cones-of-cannabis-a-day habit and was sacked from a public hospital for stealing valium.
Registrar Joe Hooper said Dr Mauro was currently not working as a doctor but declined to say why complaints about the doctor's drug use were never investigated.

The board has already been criticised by the state's coroner for its handling of Dr Mauro's drug dependence.

A long-term employer of Dr Mauro raised further questions after revealing yesterday that it had had no idea about his drug addiction and mental illness.

Boxing SA chief executive Grant Peters said Dr Mauro worked as a medical consultant to the sporting organisation "for many, many years" until February this year.

"We were completely unaware," Mr Peters said.

Two of South Australia's leading medical figures were members of the board committee which met twice with Dr Mauro before the death of the female patient.

Coroner Wayne Chivell found Flinders Medical Centre head of psychiatry Ross Kalucy knew of Dr Mauro's cannabis and valium addiction after learning of complaints from an Adelaide locum service.

But Professor Kalucy concluded in February 2002 there were no concerns about Dr Mauro's ability to practise.

Dr Mauro testified during the inquest he could not remember treating 69-year-old Ruth Sorenson in July 2002. She collapsed and died at her home less than 24 hours after he discharged her from the emergency department of an Adelaide hospital.

Despite also knowing of complaints from the NSW Medical Board, Professor Kalucy left the file open and did not refer Dr Mauro's case to the medical board for investigation. Professor Kalucy did not return calls from The Australian yesterday.

The local Australian Medical Association said banning Dr Mauro would be like "closing the door after the horse has bolted".

President Christopher Cain said the medical board dealt with drug-dependent doctors in a "generally quite appropriate way".

"But it would appear that this is one case where it did slip under the radar to some extent," Dr Cain said.

The inquest found no evidence that Dr Mauro's judgment was impaired by drugs or mental illness when he treated Sorenson.

But Mr Chivell said it was a gross departure from reasonable standards of care.

Dr Mauro's full certificate of registration was returned in December 2003, Mr Chivell said.

Yesterday, the Medical Board of South Australia declined to provide further details about when and why restrictions were placed on Dr Mauro after July 2002, or whether it planned to take further action.

"I am not talking to the media any more until I have met with my board and it directs me to do so," Mr Hooper said.