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Media Watch targets A Current Affair hidden camera “sickies”

A Queensland doctor has told Media Watch he is "pissed off" after being featured in A Current Affair via hidden cameras.

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2013-10-14_2353A Queensland doctor has told Media Watch he is “pissed off” after being featured in A Current Affair giving  Brisbane producer Aaron O’Brien (pictured) a sick note in a story about doctors readily handing out sickies.

Media Watch host Paul Barry said, “In performing its sting, A Current Affair had secretly filmed the consultation without telling the doctor.

“Producer Aaron O’Brien had posed as a patient.

“And according to Doctor Carroll, he had also told a number of lies.”

The segment included hidden cameras in doctors’ offices.

Carroll wrote to Media Watch stating, “His presenting complaint was that he was stressed, that his boss was getting under him and that he just could not go into work today. He was hunched over. He was cowering and I thought he may even start crying. I felt he may even have been bullied by his boss.

“I personally have attended to a number of Suicide cases……Men in their thirties … and then having to explain this to their wife and 4 and 6 yr old … it’s hard !!!!!! Often a male this age is dragged in by their girlfriend who is really concerned about them and we only see the tip of the iceberg so any male stressed and bullied I take very seriously.”

A Current Affair did not comment on the questions put to it by Media Watch.

12 Responses

  1. It’s sad that this doctor’s best bet of getting his reputation back is to go on Today Tonight. They will eat this anti-channel 9 story right up. Both of them are the absolute gutter of Australian television in my opinion. Shame on ACA.

  3. I’m surprised ACA is even doing stories like this. Most workers regard sickies as an entitlement and a perk, and to continually broadcast stories taking the bosses’ side and portraying working class viewers as bludgers and layabouts doesn’t seem like a good way to get ratings.

  4. This type of story is the only way to keep the ratings, no matter what the consequences are, ACA could not care less about anybody or anything, it’s a pity that the public still watch it, if they turned it off that would soon bring them in line, deceitful channel 9, with hidden cameras.

  5. Have never watched this trash since the Filipino repairman commited suicide some years ago after being shamed on ACA. Jane Hansen, the reporter, wrote about it again recently. Seems nothing’s changed.
    What if the the lieing, acting patient was actually genuine but the doctor had interpreted it as an act, the patient had gone to work, and something later happened. Who’s to blame? The doctor. Can’t win. “All just good theatre” and “trust”. Sure Tracey. No comment to MW? Good on the doctor for defending himself against this crap.

  7. So, assuming the doctor’s side of the story is true, the doctor’s reputation gets smeared on air and there’s little he can do other than sue for defamation – with all the time and money that requires..

    No chance of an apology or retration (or even an explanation) from ACA.

    Are they really that far above the law?

  8. The doctor should just file a complaint with the ACMA for filming him without consent and report them to the police for fraud and medicare fraud. That should keep them busy.

    Though he seems mostly interested in defending his professional reputation.

    ACA have made a point about there being no objective criteria for assessing claims of stress, but that is not the right way to go about it.

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