Mental illness and patient safety

A locum emergency doctor submits a timesheet claiming excessive overtime and a conversation leads you to suspect they are suffering from mania. How can you protect patient safety while, at the same time, being compassionate and fair? In this episode, host Dr David Rankin presents this difficult scenario to Dr David Fenn, a psychiatrist who is the Deputy Chief Medical Officer at Royal Melbourne Hospital and the Director of Quality and Reform for Royal Melbourne’s Mental Health Services. Together they discuss the critical balance between patient safety, staff well-being, and supporting a struggling doctor. And Dr Fenn offers insights and practical strategies for dealing with this sensitive and high-stakes situation.

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The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the following Podcast are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators (RACMA). The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only, and should not be considered health, legal or financial advice. The cases discussed in the Podcast may be specific to the speaker’s organisation or location, and may not be applicable to other organisations, states, territories or countries. RACMA does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organisation presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. RACMA will not be held responsible for any losses, damages, or liabilities that may arise from the use of this Podcast. The Podcast may contain descriptions of health incidents that may be graphic and triggering for some people, so listener discretion is advised.

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