Sacked doctor case highlights health system weakness: Pike

Victorian Health Minister Bronwyn Pike says a weakness exists in the system for reporting clinically incompetent doctors.

A doctor fired from the Portland and Ballarat base hospitals in a matter of months is now practising in Western Australia.

A State Government investigation found at no time did the South African trained doctor treat patients alone and there were no adverse outcomes from his treatment at either hospital.

But the doctor was issued with a certificate of good standing by the Medical Practitioners Board before he moved interstate as no disciplinary action was ever taken against him.

Ms Pike says it highlights a weakness in the system and hospitals will be instructed of their ethical responsibility to notify boards if they terminate the employment of a doctor because of inadequate skills.

The board will now review what information should be shared with other states in such matters.