The head of Canberra Health Services has conceded the organisation could do more to support staff who experience traumatic events through their work, following the death of Canberra obstetrician Dr Peter Scott.
A public memorial for Dr Scott on Sunday was told he died by suicide after being in turmoil and feeling unsupported in the wake of an "extremely traumatic" event during his work at Canberra Hospital.
Police are preparing a report for the ACT Coroner on Dr Scott's death.
Canberra Health Services chief executive Dave Peffer paid tribute to Dr Scott on Monday, saying he was a much-loved obstetrician and that his loss was being felt deeply across the service.
"Everyone who worked closely with Peter is grieving," he said.
"Even colleagues who had met Peter in passing remember his energy, his dedication to his patients and colleagues and his generosity of spirit.
"We have also heard from many patients who have also expressed their gratitude for the care Peter provided to them, and their sadness that he is gone.
"Peter was an exceptional mentor to trainees at Canberra Health Services over many years."
Dr Scott's son, Tim, told the public memorial his father had been struggling in the aftermath of a very confronting delivery and then felt unsupported by the hospital.
His wife Ann Maree Parker also told the memorial Dr Scott recently expressed concerns about the demands and expectations played on doctors, especially junior doctors.
He wanted to make it easier for them. But his "optimism for change" had become severely challenged.
Dr Scott felt isolated in the aftermath of the traumatic delivery, which his wife, a midwife, was also in attendance.
"The lead-up to Pete's final day was a time of great internal conflict," she told Sunday's memorial.
"Peter referred to this time as a 'perfect storm of torment'.
"Working together in the birth suite had given us unbelievable joy at times. But it also put us in a position of sharing great stress and sorrow.
"At the end of one of the hard days, we both felt shaken and he described the feeling of being on an island together with me but alone.
"We both wondered about working in an institution that would allow us to feel alone and he had great concern for both of us, that we were feeling unsupported."
Ms Parker said, in the wake of the incident, they felt like people at the hospital believed she and Dr Scott wanted space or privacy or to be left alone, but that was not what they had wanted at all.
She said she "did reach out" and "begged the institution" for help but the help was "shallow".
Ms Parker said after "days of rumination", Dr Scott had promised to put the whole tragedy and the response to it behind him and continue to provide care that the women of Canberra deserved.
"I guess in that last moment he forgot his promise," she told the memorial.
Mr Peffer said he could not comment on the circumstances of Dr Scott's death as police were preparing a report for the coroner.
He said Canberra Health Services tried to provide the right support for team members, but conceded the service could do better.
"We have listened to feedback that we should do more, particularly to support those who experience traumatic events through their work at CHS," Mr Peffer said.
"Sadly, by the very nature of our work, our doctors, nurses, allied health staff and support teams regularly care for people at their most vulnerable and are exposed to a range of potentially traumatic experiences.
"The fact that these scenarios occur often does not make them any easier for our team members to deal with.
"We're committed to implementing stronger and more accessible health and wellbeing supports, especially those who experience trauma at work."
Mr Peffer said, on the day following Dr Scott's death, an on-site and dedicated phone-based specialist trauma counselling service was set up, along with other support services including emergency, crisis and 24-hour support services for all team members.
Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith attended Dr Scott's memorial on Sunday. She said she sent her deepest heartfelt sympathies to Ms Parker and Dr Scott's children and wider family and staff across Canberra Health Services.
"It is a tragic circumstance and I know how deeply staff at Canberra Health Services are feeling this loss and it was incredible to see the people who turned out at Llewellyn Hall yesterday to celebrate Peter Scott's life," she said.
"He was incredibly well loved and well respected not only across Canberra Health Services but internationally as well and his loss will be deeply felt."
Ms Stephen-Smith said she could also not comment on the circumstances of the death. However, she did say Canberra Health Services had received feedback about how it could improve.
"Canberra Health Services has indicated that they have had a lot of feedback from people over the last week about what more can be done to support staff, doctors, nurses, allied health workers and support staff who experience traumatic events as a result of their work in Canberra Health Services," she said.
"This is a traumatic thing for people in Canberra Health Services to experience and leadership is committed to improving the way staff health and wellbeing is supported right across the organisation."
- Support is available for those who may be distressed. Phone Lifeline 13 11 14; Mensline 1300 789 978; Kids Helpline 1800 551 800; beyondblue 1300 224 636; 1800-RESPECT 1800 737 732.
