Sick to Death
The Australian
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About This Podcast
They called him ‘Doctor Death’: a surgeon charged with saving lives, but accused of taking them instead.
Dr Jayant Patel ruled over Bundaberg Hospital for two years in the early 2000s, despite being banned from surgical practice in the United States.
This gripping true account is the story that set Gold Walkley Award-winning journalist Hedley Thomas on his path to becoming Australia’s most trusted investigative reporter.
Based on his bestselling book, the Sick to Death podcast explores a dark chapter in Australian healthcare and the bravery of one nurse who refused to stay silent.
Subscribers to The Australian hear new episodes first at sicktodeathpodcast.com. Plus, get exclusive access to photos, videos, timelines, and more at the website.
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Recent Episodes
S1 Bonus Episode 5: The Last Word
This final episode of the Sick To Death podcast series unpacks the remaining rollercoaster ride in the Dr Jayant Patel saga. Patel's fight within the criminal justice system goes high and low, marked…
S1 Bonus Episode 4: The Waiting Game
The story of Dr Jayant Patel and others involved in the saga surrounding his two-year tenure at the Bundaberg Base Hospital was far from over when Hedley Thomas emailed the manuscript for his book…
S1E14 Episode 14: Payback
What was meant to be a light‑hearted dinner becomes weaponised into a scandal. The fallout leads to calls for Commissioner Tony Morris to be sidelined. But pressure doesn’t relent for Queensland…
S1E16 Episode 16: Dear Dr Patel
As Hedley travels to the United States in hopes of a face-to-face interview with Jayant Patel, Geoff Davies delivers his findings to Premier Peter Beattie. The result is a multimillion-dollar cash…
S1 Bonus Episode 3: All Hell Breaks Loose
Journalism's tradecraft and the work that goes on in newsrooms when a massive story is unfolding comes into sharp focus as Hedley catches up in Bundaberg with Toni Hoffman, the senior nurse who…
S1 Bonus Episode 2: The Children
In 1928 when Bundaberg was a small town with good prospects a decade after the end of the Great War, its popular GP Dr Ewing Thomson unleashed a medical disaster, accidentally killing 12 local…
S1 Bonus Episode 1: Whistleblower Status
In this special bonus episode of Sick to Death, listeners can hear the extraordinary real audio from the 2005 meeting where nurse Toni Hoffman blew the whistle on killer surgeon Jayant Patel. You’ll…
S1E15 Episode 15: The Collapse
Queenslanders are outraged when the Commission of Inquiry led by Tony Morris collapses following a successful court challenge by hospital administrators Peter Leck and Dr Darren Keating. Premier…
S1 From The Front: How we made the smash-hit Sick to Death podcast
Two years, 500 gigabytes of audio, and more than 200 voice actors. The Australian’s podcast adaptation of Hedley Thomas’ best-selling book Sick to Death is nearing its conclusion. It’s the story of…
An update on Sick to Death
The Australian's National Chief Correspondent Hedley Thomas provides an update on this podcast series.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S1E13 Episode 13: Wound Feuds
Hedley traces Dr Jayant Patel’s roots in Jamnagar, where former colleagues describe an autocratic surgeon whose unchecked ego foreshadowed disaster. Meanwhile in Australia, police weigh a slow…
S1E12 Episode 12: Bring Him Back
The inquiry into Bundaberg Hospital and Dr Jayant Patel tears open Queensland Health’s culture. Buried reports are resurfaced in televised hearings, hospital staff are summoned without notice, and…
S1E11 Episode 11: The Breaking Point
A simple Google search detonates a statewide crisis as Dr Jayant Patel’s past is laid bare. The resulting media storm unleashes public fury, an outpouring of grief from patients and families, and…
S1E10 Episode 10: The Bombshell
“You know, he didn’t become a bad surgeon overnight.” This off-handed comment by a Bundaberg nurse prompts Hedley Thomas to start looking into Dr Patel’s history. A Google search uncovers the…
S1E9 Episode 9: Mind Games
Nurse Toni Hoffman risks a clandestine meeting with Hedley Thomas, as hospital administrators continue their hunt for the person leaking stories. Meanwhile, the Minister and Director‑General fly…
S1E8 Episode 8: Grind Them Down
Dr Patel books a ticket to flee overseas as the story of Queensland’s own ‘Dr Death’ gains traction in the media. Meanwhile, at Bundaberg Base Hospital, management still refuses to acknowledge any…
S1E7 Episode 7: Cover It Up
Defeated by the bureaucracy of public health, veteran ICU nurse Toni Hoffman drives through a storm to blow the whistle on Jayant Patel. Politician Rob Messenger takes up the fight in the Queensland…
S1E6 Episode 6: The Bloodletting
The list of Jayant Patel’s victims continues to grow. Fifteen‑year‑old Shannon Mobbs arrives after a trail‑bike crash and has his femoral vein tied off, a cancer patient’s healthy bowel is cut, a…
S1E5 Episode 5: The Messenger
Unrest at Bundaberg Hospital grows, as staff grapple with the devastating consequences of Dr Jayant Patel’s reckless practices. After yet another tragic patient outcome, Nurse Toni Hoffman is…
S1E4 Episode 4: Doctor’s Germs
Dr Jayant Patel continues to go unchecked at Bundaberg Base Hospital. From botched surgeries and fatal errors to shocking breaches of basic hygiene, the human toll continues to rise. More staff…
Frequently Asked Questions
Sick to Death has published 21 episodes since November 2025, covering topics in Documentary, Society & Culture.
Sick to Death is currently dormant with new episodes every few days. Average episode length is 1h 2m.
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