Cirrus@Austlit

'Ella and Happy face a hard fight defending a doctor who trusted a pathology report and thus missed a cancer in a nine-year-old boy. The biopsy slides and the pathologist are missing. Richard becomes emotionally involved with the terminally ill boy, and is shaken to discover that the parents absolutely refuse to tell their son he’s dying.

'With the trial fast tracked, Ella enlists unpredictable surgeon Simon Lloyd as an expert witness. His care and passion for the case and the mediation provide unexpected results and a violent response from Richard, when Simon breaks the rules and confronts the grieving parents. When the elusive pathologist shows up, she confesses she got it wrong and Ella is devastated.

'At Kato & Pittman, Caitlin is reminded of her junior status when Richard has her drawing up wills. But she discovers her client’s husband could well have a very large med-neg claim against their GP, who failed to diagnose kidney failure which has lead to him loosing his sight. It should be an easy and big win for Caitlin, so she is very disappointed when her client refuses to go to court and accepts the settlement offered by Amanda and Jamie—a mere $1.2 million.'

Source: Australian Television Information Archive. (Sighted: 11/6/2013)

'The press takes an interest as Happy and Amanda gear up for an appeal hearing in the Supreme Court. On the plaintiff’s side, Caitlin is doing all the work and Richard is taking all the credit—as usual.

'Simon is put on the spot, and clashes with Happy, when an old mate, orthopaedic surgeon Cameron Foster, is sued for negligence by a media personality who can no longer wear stilettos after having her toes shortened. Happy and Amanda insist that MDA won’t represent the surgeon who has refused to pay his dues and is participating in a lawsuit against MDA.'

Source: Australian Television Information Archive. (Sighted: 11/6/2013)

'In the final episode of Departure Lounge, Happy announces that Andrew will have to contribute a large amount towards the settlement of the Jye Foster case, as he put MDA in a difficult negotiating position.

'While Carr and other senior staff at the hospital appear to have accepted Andrew's actions with some tolerance, he knows that if he openly challenges Carr it will put him off side. Lucy is anxious that he doesn't do anything more to jeopardise his career but Andrew fears for the fate of any infants who come under Carr's knife.

Andrew turns to Jamie for advice on how to attack Carr. In Jamie's view, the only course of action is to take his complaint to the Medical Board, in which case his actions will be out in the open. Jamie believes this course of action will be career suicide.

'Andrew is on the verge of backing off when another baby needing heart surgery comes to Norwood Hospital and Carr is assigned to operate. Andrew now feels compelled to pursue his complaint.

'Furious, Carr turns to MDA for representation and is reassured by Happy that despite Andrew's previous association with MDA, they will give Carr a robust defence.

'At MDA, Jamie comes across evidence that is damning of Carr. Carr's mortality rates are much worse that the national average and if this information is revealed to the Medical Board it will sink Carr. MDA is in a difficult situation. It seems clear to them that Carr is not competent, but as he is their member they can't present damaging evidence.

'At the pre-hearing before the medical tribunal, Andrew puts his case. But the evidence of his key witness, Ted Walsh, is dismissed. Ted's not mentally fit due to his brain tumour. However, the chair of the tribunal asks for comparative stats, and Carr is shattered when he sees that his results are so much worse than the other surgeons in his field. He's convinced to resign. Andrew is vindicated and returns to work, but despite his success he's a pariah. No-one likes a whistleblower.'

Source: Australian Television Information Archive. (Sighted: 12/6/2013)