SA ICAC report reveals extravagant personal claims including luxury watches and Disneyland trips made by medical officers using public funds, prompting eight recommendations for better governance.
South Australia's ICAC has made eight recommendations about an SA Health scheme. A luxury watch, gold-plated stationery and a $7,000 "work bag" are among reimbursements claimed by South Australian public medical officers, as the state's anti-corruption watchdog issues a call for better governance.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption Emma Townsend released her report following a six-month evaluation of how professional development funds for public medical officers were being managed. It found SA Health spent $64 million on professional development reimbursements for public sector medical officers in the 12 months to April 2026. One medical officer claimed four Apple watches, five tablets/iPads, four mobile phones and four laptops totalling $68,600 over four years.
Another medical officer claimed more than $49,000 for four watches over three consecutive years, including one watch which was valued at almost $23,000. One of the claims uncovered was $12,000 for accommodation for four nights to attend a wellness retreat in Bali, while another was a five-night stay for four guests at Disneyland that cost $3,400.
Other examples uncovered during the evaluation include $1,200 for three gold-plated stationery items, $4,699 for an ergonomic chair and $1,260 for fountain pen and ink cartridge. ICAC Commissioner Emma Townsend said staff had a broad interpretation of what constituted professional development and there was a need for more clarity.
She said in line with their respective enterprise agreements, interns, medical practitioners and registrars were entitled to be reimbursed for professional development expenses up to $10,000 per annum, while consultants can claim up to $23,000 per year.
"There is no doubt that the lack of clarity has contributed to the wide range of claims identified during the evaluation, including examples that, on the surface, appear to blur the line between professional and personal benefit," she said. "While those claims may have amounted to potential misconduct or maladministration, in consultation with the Ombudsman, ICAC determined that an evaluation would be an effective approach to highlighting any potential improvements which would assist to prevent or minimise corruption in public administration.
" Commissioner Townsend made eight recommendations to improve oversight and reduce corruption risks in the management of professional development funds in SA's public health system. Department for Health and Wellbeing chief executive Robyn Lawrence accepted the recommendations and planned to issue a reminder to all Local Health Networks to monitor staff compliance to the SA public sector code of ethics.
"Where a LHN considers that any use of its Professional Development Funds raises a suspicion of potential misconduct or maladministration, it will be reminded that such conduct should be reported internally for consideration of any investigation, and can be reported to the Office for Public Integrity or the Ombudsman SA," Dr Lawrence said. "Further, that any reasonable suspicion of corruption in public administration must be reported to the OPI. "
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