A urologist has been suspended due to an investigation, which has resulted in the latest controversy surrounding Mackay Base Hospital.
It is not the first time that the competency of surgeon Daryl Stephens has been questioned as a medical professional.
In January 2016, after relocating from Western Australia, Dr Stephens was fined for engaging in professional misconduct in the state during his time there.
He was allowed to work in Mackay, in part due to a lack of urological services in North Queensland.
The public transcript of the State Administrative Tribunal of Western Australia, from November 3 and 5 in 2017, indicated that the tribunal accepted that ordinarily Dr Stephens' conduct should have resulted in a suspension.
There were several reasons for deciding to issue a fine instead.
The tribunal ordered Dr Stephens to be fined $30,000 for misconduct, as well as an additional $2,000 for failing to report the loss of his accreditation at Western Australia Primary Health Care.
The medical board said his misconduct referred to the care of a patient where Dr Stephens failed to read their pathology reports for up to three months and take any steps to inform them of their diagnosis.
The tribunal acknowledged that the incident only involved one patient, but the concern was that the conduct was extended over a number of months. He did not advise the patient of the recommended options, and he chose an option that was inconsistent with the evidence of three of the experts.
Incompetence is when you have the knowledge and then fail to apply it in appropriate circumstances. At the time of the tribunal, Dr Stephens had an average of 160 patients in clinic each month.
He was also mentoring junior medical staff and presenting lectures to James Cook University students twice a month.
The tribunal found moving across the country was an acknowledgement by Dr Stephens that he needed to change his practices. Dr Stephens also stated that he had moved from a situation where he was not working alone and was subject to peer supervision.
The Mackay Hospital and Health Service MHHS has issued a statement about Dr Stephen's suspension.
Interim chief executive Paula Foley said there were systems and processes in place to encourage staff and patients to speak up for safety.
She said it is important for anyone involved to be provided with procedural fairness while the concerns are investigated.
The ABC asked MHHS for more information but the spokesman said it was unable to comment on individual staffing matters. This is the latest controversy since the Mackay Base Hospital lost its accreditation to train doctors in obstetrics and gynaecology due to a number of claims of patient harm.
A review into maternity services has been completed but the report is yet to be released to the public.