A major Victorian hospital is under investigation after explosive allegations surfaced claiming staff have been falsifying patient records to meet strict ambulance transfer targets.
The Department of Health is probing Northern Hospital in Epping following claims from a whistleblower that employees have been routinely altering electronic records in a process known internally as “data washing.” The alleged practice involves modifying timestamps to show that patients were offloaded from ambulances within the required 40-minute window – even if the actual transfer took significantly longer.
According to the whistleblower, this manipulation has been occurring since 2017, with knowledge of the practice widespread among both staff and management. Screenshots reportedly taken from the hospital’s internal system suggest that some records were adjusted by clerical staff up to a day after they were first logged.
“It is really widespread, and it is ongoing,” the whistleblower said. “On paper we are meeting our targets, so staff are burning out and leaving because in reality we are getting flogged.”
The 40-minute offload benchmark, introduced in February this year across Victoria’s 17 busiest emergency departments, was designed to reduce ambulance ramping and improve patient care by getting paramedics back on the road more quickly. The standards were introduced following success at the Austin Hospital, where similar measures led to a notable drop in offload times.
At the time, Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said the benchmarks were essential and that hospitals failing to comply could expect consequences. “If we are to improve ambulance response times, if we are to end ramping, then we can’t keep doing things the way we’ve always done them and expect change,” she said.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health confirmed the investigation and said accurate reporting of data is a requirement for all Victorian health services. “These allegations are serious and the Department will work with Northern Health to investigate them,” she said. “It is our expectation that all health services ensure data is captured accurately and verified through robust processes.”
Northern Hospital has acknowledged the claims and stated that an internal review is underway.
Opposition health spokesperson Georgie Crozier has called for a fully independent inquiry, stating that the public cannot have confidence in a government-led investigation into a government-run health service. “Victorians need confidence in the health system. A full independent investigation needs to be undertaken on this incident, and an audit across all emergency departments should follow,” she said.
While the Department’s most recent data shows median emergency wait times are at a record low of 14 minutes, critics argue that figures like these may not reflect the reality on the ground if data manipulation is taking place.
The incident comes amid wider concerns about the state of Victoria’s public health system. Hospitals in Melbourne’s east, including Maroondah and Healesville, are reportedly scaling back services such as paediatrics, general surgery, and gynaecology.
These changes have drawn backlash from community members and local MPs, particularly following the government’s failure to allocate funding for promised infrastructure projects like the new Maroondah Hospital.
Minister Thomas has since confirmed she only became aware of the allegations against Northern Hospital through media reports. While dismissing calls for an external investigation, she said she had directed her department to work with the hospital to “get to the bottom” of the claims.
“I hold our healthcare workers in the highest regard and we expect them to work with integrity at all times,” she said. “But we will investigate what has occurred at Northern and share more when we know more.”
The situation has reignited debate over the pressure placed on healthcare workers to meet rigid performance targets and the potential human cost when the system values numbers over care.
