Junior Doctor Charged for Placing Camera in Staff Bathroom at Melbourne Hospital

Victorian detectives have charged a trainee surgeon with stalking after his colleagues found a camera allegedly recording them in a staff toilet at a major Melbourne hospital. The junior doctor, who is employed at The Austin Hospital, is also charged with using an optical surveillance device, after investigators raided his home in Heidelberg West. Detectives will allege a mobile phone was found in a restricted staff toilet on July 3. \"The device is believed to have been in place for some time before staff became aware and reported the matter,\" a police spokeswoman said. The 27-year-old man was bailed and will appear at the Heidelberg Magistrates' Court on August 29.

Police raided an address in Heidelberg West and arrested the doctor. In an earlier statement to the ABC, a spokeswoman for Austin Health said the hospital contacted authorities. \"We take the safety and wellbeing of our staff extremely seriously and recently made a formal report to Victoria Police,\" the spokeswoman said. \"As this matter is now with the police, we are not able to share more information about the nature of the report.\"

Austin Health chief executive Jodie Geissler notified staff of the arrest through a hospital-wide email obtained by the ABC. \"In recent days we have become aware of some suspicious activity that has warranted a report to Victoria Police,\" Ms Geissler told staff in the email. \"We have prioritised engaging with staff who, based on the current information, work in the potentially impacted areas of the hospital. We acknowledge the situation and the limited information we can share creates uncertainty and you probably have many questions. We commit to providing more information as soon as we can.\"

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) has been contacted for comment.