Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, August 28, 2013 - Page 11
www.MelbourneObserver.com.au
Confidential Melbourne
Talk is cheap, gossip is priceless
‘ALARMING LACK OF COMPETENCE’ NURSE BANNED FOR 2 YEARS
Bitch Melbourne’s Secrets
Ranald returns to The Age
● Ranald Macdonald ■ Who noticed the byline of former Age Managing Director Ranald Macdonald last week? Macdonald joined with former Mornington Shire President David Gill to publish a criticism of Victorian Planning Minister Matthew Guy’s announcements on rural ‘green wedge’ planning zones. The newspaper disclosed that Macdonald, a former is a member of the Flinders Community Association, and that Gill was a member of the Western Port Regional Planning Council. Macdonald is a grandson of Oswald Syme, whose father was David Syme, credited with building The Age. Last year, Macdonald took a swipe at his own newspaper, where he was Editor-in-Chief for seven years. Writing in Crikey, he said: “Indiscriminate cost cutting has reduced the integrity, authority and investigative depth of articles in The Age ... one needs to recognise that for many years now Fairfax has been run with a lack of foresightedness of a level hard to contemplate.” Macdonald was MD of David Syme and Co from 1964-83, chairman of the Media Council of Australia 1975-80, president of the Newspaper Publishers Association (establishing the Australian Press Council), chairman of the International Press Institute 1978-80, then for six years current affairs presenter on 774 3LO and, after teaching journalism at RMIT, became university professor and chairman of journalism at Boston University 1995-2005. Macdonald was a former President of the Collingwood Football Club from 1982, but stood down in 1986 after a financial crisis hit the Magpies, which had debts of $2.9 million. He stood down in favour of Allan McAlister. Folklore incorrectly has it that David Williamson’s play The Club was based on Macdonald, however the play was first staged in 1977, and the film starring Graham Kennedy in the role as President Ted Parker, a pie factory owner, was made in 1980. Macdonald is a cousin of Victorian-born media proprietor Rupert Murdoch.
■ A Victorian nurse has been banned from working for two years, after what the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal called an “alarming lack of competence”. Yun Yun Chen was found guilty of professional misconduct by VCAT Senior Member Noreen Megay, and Members Pearson and Bylhouwer. The Tribunal heard that Chen ignored instructions at a handover at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Chen fed a patient who was “nil by mouth”, administered the drug Atenolol to another patient without conferring with a medical practitioner, tried to wash a third patient’s mouth with acetone. Chen later told staff she did not know what acetone was. Chen fed the ‘nil by mouth’ patient after a food tray was incorrectly delivered by the food services trolley. She administered the drug to the second patient without taking blood pressure or heart beat observations. The patient’s slow heart beat had been measured at 48 beats per minute. Chen disconnected a patient’s intravenous extension tubing, asking the patient’s daughter to hold the tubing,
Reward
Teacher struck off after sex offence
which was full of the patient’s blood. Chen did not discuss the risk of infection with the daughter who was not wearing protective clothing. The Tribunal reprimanded Chen, cancelled her Division 1 Nursing registration, and disqualified her from applying for registration for two years. VCAT heard that the Chineseborn nurse had migrated to Australia in 1999, completed Division 1 studies at Victoria University, and worked as an agency nurse with Lemore Nursing Agency from 2009-10. A performance review saud Chen lack competency in seven areas,
Compo bid allowed after 5 years ■ A man has been granted an extension of time to submit an application to the Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal, despite the event taking place more than five years ago. VCAT Senior Member Ian Proctor allowed the extension to ‘TQ’ after an incident where a Council worker is alleged to have assaulted the man, causing a closed fracture to the nose and a cut to the lip. TQ was punched after confronting the Council worker. TQ’s behaviour at the hospital was said to be aggressive and inappropriate. TQ told the Tribunal that he had a dysfunctional life, and had been hit in the head with a cricket bat
Whispers
when he was a primary school student, aged 7. His brother intentionally ran over him with a car. He was shot at, but not hit, in a domestic situation. He last saw his two children in 2000. TQ said the delay was vaused by him focusing on his homeless son. Supporting evidence was provided by a psychologist, Mr Jago. Mr Proctor said it was fair and equitable to allow a time extension.
Groups to lose status ■ A number of Victorian associations apear set to lose their incorporation status, says Deputy Registrar David Betts. A Victoria Government Gazette notice advises that the associations affected are: Wyndham Community Centres Network Inc.; Fit Kids Foundation Inc.; Holmes St Tenant’s Group Inc.; Ice 2000 Technology Education Services Inc.; HIM Centre Heidelberg International Ministry Centre Inc.; Seymour Rafting Festival Committee Inc.; Dog Rescue Association of Victoria Inc.
■ Victorian school teacher Bernard Paul Maude has been disqualified from teaching. The Victorian Institute of Teaching has note that Maude was convicted in June of three counts of sexual penetration of a child under 16 years. He was disqualified from teaching as of that date and his registration as a teacher in Victoria was cancelled. The official notice relating to Maude’s removal as a teacher was published on Thursday in the Victoria Government Gazette.
● Graham Kinniburgh ■ Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Ken Lay last week published a $100,000 reward notice to establish the identity of the person responsible for the homicide of Graham Allan Kinniburgh in 2003. Kinniburgh was portrayed in the Underbelly TV series by actor Gerard Kennedy.
Takeover
Rumour Mill
Hear It Here First
Radio station pays fine ■ The Rumour Mill hears that Australian cricket coach Darren Lehmann’s $3000 fine has been paid by the Triple M radio network. Lehmann was fined for calling England opening bowler Stuart Broad a cheat during an interview aired on Triple M. Lehmann admitted the offence and was fined 20 per cent of his match fee by the International Cricket Council referee Roshan Mahanama. ● Darren Lehmann
Night-time changes? ■ Will the departure of Murray Wilton from the evening timeslot at 3AW’s sister station in Sydney, 2UE, have any effect on the Melbourne Nightline program hosted by Bruce Mansfield and Philip Brady. Will National Content Manager, Clark Forbes, look for a national solution?
E-Mail: Confidential@MelbourneObserver.com.au
● Andy Mathers ■ Andy Mathers will replace Dean Anglin as the General Manager of Geelong radio stations K-ROCK and Bay FM. He has been working for the S & J Media Group in Melbourne, and as Sales Director Smooth FM 91.5 and Client Director at Nova 100.
On tour
● Megan Castran ■ Toorak gal Megan Castran is delighting friends with her social media messages ... currently from Mykonos, and recently in Zurich and Rome.