The entire board was last week formally sacked at the Bacchus Marsh hospital where seven baby deaths in two years are being investigated.
The eight board members of the Djerriwarrh Health Services were given until earlier this month to plead their case.
Last Thursday, Health Minister Jill Hennessy said she had met with all the board members but nothing had persuaded her that they should stay on.
“This is one of the greatest clinical governance failures that we’ve seen in the Victorian health system,” Ms Hennessy told reporters.
Dr John Ballard, former chief executive of Mercy Health, has been appointed administrator.
Andrew Freeman has been appointed chief executive.
Ms Hennessy said there were “no financial consequences” for the government terminating the board’s tenure.
In March, an analysis by the Consultative Council on Obstetric and Paediatric Mortality and Morbidity found the death rate at the Bacchus Marsh Hospital was higher than average.
It also showed that the hospital’s practices may have contributed to seven infant deaths over two years.
“I would like to see accountability for those that have contributed to some of the most devastating outcomes for families,” Ms Hennessy said.
She said the hospital was supposed to accommodate low-risk births. “Very sadly it didn’t and that has had life-changing consequences with devastating impacts for too many families.”
Negligence claims
Medical negligence lawyers say dozens of people have contacted them about their care at the hospital since news of the scandal broke earlier this month.
A spokeswoman for Maurice Blackburn said they had received 52 inquiries from people who felt they had received poor care at the hospital.
Anne Shortall, of Slater and Gordon, would not say exactly how many people the firm had heard from, but she said they had received many inquiries, including some from people about obstetric and gynaecological treatment at other hospitals in regional Victoria.
“The inquiries we have received are wide-ranging in terms of type of injury sustained and timeframe, with some reports of poor treatment and injury dating back more than a decade,” she said.
Dr Ballard said the booking list at the hospital was now “very well filled”.
However, he confirmed some women had cancelled plans to give birth at the hospital.
Dr Ballard said the hospital was seeking a new head of obstetrics.
By Benjamin Preiss, The Age
