Sick to Death

This final episode of the Sick To Death podcast series unpacks the remaining rollercoaster ride in the Dr Jayant Patel saga.
Patel's fight within the criminal justice system goes high and low, marked by a successful appeal to the High Court of Australia in 2012 and two subsequent retrials for manslaughter and grievous bodily harm. With the criminal proceedings finally over, the Medical Board of Australia works to rub him out.
In fresh interviews, whistleblower nurse Toni Hoffman and patient advocate Beryl Crosby recall these events and their impact on those closely involved.
King's Counsel Dr Ian Freckelton discloses his role in ensuring that Patel can never operate again. He also answers burning questions about Patel's conduct, psychology and the capacity of the system to deal with rogue surgeons.
And Jayant Patel reveals to The Australian's Ellie Dudley where his mind is at all these years later.
Do you know more? Contact Hedley Thomas and the team at [email protected]
Subscribers hear new episodes of Sick to Death first. Listen at sicktodeathpodcast.com, in The Australian’s app or search for “Sick to Death” on Apple Podcasts to connect your subscription.
Plus, get exclusive access to photos, videos, timelines, and more at the website.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The story of Dr Jayant Patel and others involved in the saga surrounding his two-year tenure at the Bundaberg Base Hospital was far from over when Hedley Thomas emailed the manuscript for his book Sick To Death in late 2006. Two bonus episodes of the Sick To Death podcast tell the rest of the gripping story.
This episode tracks the twists and turns in the pursuit of justice from 2007 to 2011, including Patel’s extradition from the United States in 2008, a lengthy jury trial in 2010 and an appeal by Patel the following year.
In fresh and archived interviews with whistleblower nurse Toni Hoffman and patient advocate Beryl Crosby, they describe and reflect upon the significant events. The Australian's senior reporter Sarah Elks reminisces about covering the trial in 2010 as a junior reporter.
Do you know more? Contact Hedley Thomas and the team at [email protected]
Subscribers hear new episodes of Sick to Death first. Listen at sicktodeathpodcast.com, in The Australian’s app or search for “Sick to Death” on Apple Podcasts to connect your subscription.
Plus, get exclusive access to photos, videos, timelines, and more at the website.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Journalism's tradecraft and the work that goes on in newsrooms when a massive story is unfolding comes into sharp focus as Hedley catches up in Bundaberg with Toni Hoffman, the senior nurse who risked everything to talk to him about a killer surgeon.
Toni opens up about Dr Jayant Patel's mindset and discloses the serious challenges she's faced.
Do you know more? Contact Hedley Thomas and the team at [email protected]
Subscribers hear new episodes of Sick to Death first. Listen at sicktodeathpodcast.com, in The Australian’s app or search for “Sick to Death” on Apple Podcasts to connect your subscription.
Plus, get exclusive access to photos, videos, timelines, and more at the website.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Hedley travels to the United States in hopes of a face-to-face interview with Jayant Patel, Geoff Davies delivers his findings to Premier Peter Beattie. The result is a multimillion-dollar cash injection into Queensland Health.
Plus, life goes on for patients treated by the incompetent surgeon and Hedley picks up the story for The Australian.
Two new episodes of Sick to Death will be available in the coming weeks. They include fresh interviews and careful analysis of how the criminal justice system dealt with Dr Patel and how it grappled with the extremely rare occurrence of of the prosecution of a surgeon for alleged criminal negligence.
These events aren't detailed in Hedley Thomas' book Sick to Death.The next two episodes, however, will document some remarkable highs and lows in this saga as it wound its way through the courts.
Subscribers hear new episodes of Sick to Death first. Listen at sicktodeathpodcast.com, in The Australian’s app or search for “Sick to Death” on Apple Podcasts to connect your subscription.
Plus, get exclusive access to photos, videos, timelines, and more at the website.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1928 when Bundaberg was a small town with good prospects a decade after the end of the Great War, its popular GP Dr Ewing Thomson unleashed a medical disaster, accidentally killing 12 local children. From official records, Hedley and voice actors reconstruct a tragedy from almost a century ago.
Hedley and Claire Harvey share context about an event so different to the calamity caused by Dr Patel in this special bonus episode of Sick to Death.
Do you know more? Contact Hedley Thomas and the team at [email protected]
Subscribers hear new episodes of Sick to Death first. Listen at sicktodeathpodcast.com, in The Australian’s app or search for “Sick to Death” on Apple Podcasts to connect your subscription.
Plus, get exclusive access to photos, videos, timelines, and more at the website.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.