Two cancer doctors quit Warrnambool after 22 years over hospital conflict
Associate Professors Terri Hayes and Ian Collins, with 40 years' combined oncology experience, are leaving South West Healthcare in early 2027.
Two leading cancer specialists are leaving Warrnambool after the hospital sidelined them for refusing to abandon their private practice. Dr Terri Hayes and Dr Ian Collins established the South West Regional Cancer Centre.
They say South West Healthcare has treated them with disrespect since 2018. The hospital wanted them to become full-time salaried staff.
They declined. After that, they were excluded from planning meetings and removed from the cancer committee.
The doctors ran clinical trials worth hundreds of thousands to the hospital each year. They were not paid for their time.
When their contract came up for renewal in September 2025, they were offered a 3 per cent pay rise after a six-year freeze. Other staff received 30 per cent increases.
The hospital now faces rebuilding its oncology service from scratch before February 2027.
- 40 years international-level oncology
- Combined experience
- 22 years
- Tenure at hospital
- 2018
- Conflict onset
- 3% versus 30% for other staff
- Pay rise gap
Why it mattersWarrnambool will lose specialist cancer care for months and must rebuild expertise that took decades to establish.
AustraliaRegional Victoria cancer patients lose access to experienced oncologists; Warrnambool hospital must recruit and train new specialists from the ground up.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 1 h ago
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