When an Australian state health minister toured an urgent care clinic, she saw how busy staff treated patients in crisis -- one rushed in by ambulance, another lying injured on a trolley.
But all was not as it seemed during Victoria Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas's visit last year to the clinic in the Colac heath area, southwest of the state capital Melbourne.
Things were apparently not busy enough.
So 鈥榓pproximately 10鈥� local health staff posed as patients and sat in the waiting room, said an independent investigation into the August 9 visit released Wednesday.
In addition, 鈥榓t least one ambulance鈥� happened to arrive during the ministerial visit 鈥榗ontaining an individual who posed as a patient鈥� despite not needing treatment, it said.
One area health worker 鈥榳ho had presented with an injury but who was not actually seeking medical treatment, occupied a trolley in the back corridor鈥�, the probe by Wise Workplace Solutions found.
After the visit, the pretend patients' registrations in the system were cancelled and they left 鈥榳ithout any treatment being administered鈥�.
鈥業 didn't notice anything in particular. I had no reason to think that anything was untoward,鈥� the health minister told reporters.
鈥業'm very disappointed. I don't need our health services to be staging fake patients for me to know that our health system is facing challenges.鈥�
Victoria's health department said the incident was 鈥榠nappropriate鈥�.
鈥業ndividual action has not been recommended by the investigators for those who posed as patients,鈥� it said.
鈥楬owever, all staff will be counselled on the seriousness of the matter and reminded of how they can speak up and of their responsibilities.鈥�