Practice Expertise

  • Litigation and disputes
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Areas of Practice

  • Litigation and disputes
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WSG Practice Industries

WSG Leadership

  • WSG Coronavirus Task Force Group - Member

Profile

With more than 20 years' experience in the field, I am highly regarded for my in-depth understanding of health regulation. I provide practical solutions tailored to each client’s specific needs. This includes crisis management, dealing with clinical negligence claims and providing medico-legal advice.

I work with the firm’s corporate and project lawyers to co-ordinate and deliver practical, industry-specific, client-focused advice related to health industry transactions, inbound investment matters, and outsourcing and infrastructure arrangements.

Career highlights

  • Acted as lead legal adviser in significant reputational matters, including health privacy breaches; matters where hospital patients contracted legionella; public health readiness and emergencies; call backs from infection control breaches; patients with mental illnesses causing injury to themselves or others while in hospital or the community; coronial investigations and inquests following patient deaths
  • Managed a 24/7 client assistance service for many years, helping hospital management teams and clinicians with urgent queries relating to clinical management and adverse outcomes
  • Represented clients during the Queensland Public Hospitals Commission of Inquiry and Queensland Health Payroll System Commission of Inquiry, including subsequent investigation and litigation
  • Conducted, as part of a multi-disciplinary team, safety and performance reviews of health services and scope of clinical practice of medical practitioners
  • Advised on the regulatory aspects of acquiring or investing in companies involved in health product manufacturing, logistics and transport; private health insurance; disability services; telemedicine; practice management software; day hospital services; pathology and radiology; and pharmaceuticals and vitamins
  • Advised on health funding and performance measures for outsourced services and health partnerships, hospital purchaser-provider agreements and Medicare compliance
  • Recognised by Best Lawyers International as Lawyer of the Year, Health & Aged Care in 2014 and 2016

Education
BCom, LLB (Hons)

Areas of Practice

  • Litigation and disputes

Professional Career

Professional Associations
  • Member, Medico-Legal Society of Queensland 
  • Member, Human Research & Ethics Committee, Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital


Articles

Additional Articles
  • TGA report reveals many cosmetic products and services are being advertised illegally

    A new TGA report appears to reveal a very limited understanding among the industry and consumers regarding the regulatory framework for cosmetic products and services which are therapeutic in nature.

  • Top five tips for defensible decision making in the healthcare sector

    Leaders of healthcare organisations are making tough and rapid decisions about critical responses to the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic. What can you do now to safeguard your organisation against potential hindsight scrutiny?

  • Restrictions for Queensland care workers based on COVID-19 vaccination status

    A new public health direction in Queensland is one of the first in Australia to place differing restrictions on people based on their vaccination status – and could set a precedent for other jurisdictions.

  • COVID-19: Queensland's new regulation-making powers impact the health industry

    New regulation-making powers in Queensland are likely to introduce numerous changes to legislative requirements in 2020, including possible implications for health organisations. On 23 April 2020, the COVID-19 Emergency Response Act 2020 (Qld) came into force, providing broad regulation-making powers for a number of purposes.

  • Early adopter's playbook: Deploying AI in healthcare

    The transformational power of AI is set to redefine the modus operandi across various sectors, including healthcare. The life sciences sector in particular are already realising the benefits of AI. Their shared experiences offer other health organisations the opportunity to pre-empt some of the challenges associated with AI.

  • A right to life: implications for public health services

    In international human rights law, the right to life is considered a 'supreme right' and arguably the most fundamental of all human rights. We discuss some of its implications for the public health sector.

     

  • Telehealth services shaping healthcare delivery beyond COVID-19

    During the COVID-19 pandemic, the health sector in particular has seen greater innovation in how technology can be used to deliver healthcare to accommodate for social distancing. The provision of telehealth services may have public health benefits beyond the pandemic and shift the future delivery of healthcare.

  • Australian Life Sciences and Biotech - Key themes and trends
    The Australian life sciences and biotech sector is likely to continue its resurgence over the next twelve months, with global trends driving strong M&A activity in life sciences and biotech M&A. We have identified 6 key themes for activity in this sector.
  • Harnessing meaningful innovation to transform the health industry

    We examine how organisations can unlock meaningful digital and data innovation to enable safe digital transformation that both improves patient outcomes and clinician experience.

  • If hospitals could fly, lessons from aviation

    We recently hosted over 100 clients from the health sector to challenge ourselves: Can we and should we be doing more to improve quality and safety outcomes in our health system?

  • COVID-19: Non-essential visitors restricted from Queensland hospitals

    From 12am today, non-essential visitors to hospitals in Queensland are prohibited, in order to limit the spread of COVID-19.

  • Voluntary Assisted Dying in Queensland

    Overnight, Queensland has become the fifth Australian State to legalise voluntary assisted dying. We explore key considerations for entities operating in the health, aged and care services sectors to prepare for implementation.

  • Healthcare's deal boom

    M&A Outlook: Australian Healthcare 2018

    Our new M&A Outlook: Australian Healthcare 2018 report has analysed global and Australian M&A activity in the healthcare sector. It identifies key commercial drivers, risks and challenges, high-level observations and lessons learnt, and how they all impacted on the local market and deals up until 30 June 2018.

  • Disability Royal Commission: Terms of Reference released

    Following the announcement of 5 April 2019 by the Prime Minster, Scott Morrison, of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability, the Terms of Reference and Commissioners have now been announced.

  • Shifting consumer expectations in healthcare – it's an empowerment game

    A recap from our Patients Aren't Widgets seminar.

    How new technologies and changing consumer expectations is signalling disruption to the health industry and the importance of finding ways to better measure and translate patient satisfaction and outcomes.

     

  • New regime to regulate medicines and poisons in Queensland
    The Medicines and Poisons Act will bring sweeping reforms to the regulation of certain substances in Queensland. We highlight key changes for regulated medicines, focussing on real-time prescription monitoring, streamlined authorisation processes and the new offence provisions.
  • Changes to telehealth: what you need to know

    Ahpra's new Telehealth Guidelines will come into effect on 1 September 2023. The Guidelines will change when and how doctors can provide telehealth consultations.

  • Can new technology help tackle Australia’s opioid crisis? MinterEllison and Scriptwise host industry experts

    Electronic records and real-time prescription monitoring hold the potential to enable new ways to prevent harms associated with prescription medication use. Industry experts in attendance called for clear legal principles around what the duty of care looks like in the age of electronic records.

  • 5 drivers to exceptional Patient Experience
    What do healthcare and hospitality have in common? More than we think. Healthcare reform is pushing the industry into uncharted territory. Healthcare providers must make decisions without precedent, and consumers are savvier than ever.
  • Accelerating AI in healthcare are you ready to adopt

    From data readiness and clinician engagement to the safe introduction and ongoing monitoring of AI, all healthcare organisations should be familiar with the recipe for a safe and successful AI strategy in healthcare.

     

  • Shared medical record platform in Victoria

    This article summarises the changes to the Health Services Act 1988 (Vic)(HSA).

     

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