Hospital workers considering legal action against some of Melbourne’s biggest hospitals could collect hundreds of thousands of dollars in payouts after a doctor allegedly filmed colleagues in staff bathrooms.
Herald Sun August 14, 2025
written by Rebecca Borg and Sarah Booth
Dozens of women are considering legal action against some of Melbourne’s biggest hospitals, after a colleague allegedly filmed them in the bathroom with secret cameras.
Junior doctor Ryan Cho was arrested last month after staff at Austin Hospital discovered a phone secretly recording in a staff bathroom, and was later charged with a string of offences.
Police alleged in court they found images of more than 460 people that had been covertly filmed at both the Austin and other hospitals Dr Cho had previously worked at.
Workplace injury legal firm Carbone Lawyers has so far taken on 30 clients who were allegedly captured on hidden cameras in toilets at the RMH, the Austin and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
Carbone Lawyers managing partner Tony Carbone said payouts could reach $400,000, and it might be “one of the biggest and grossest breaches of occupational health and safety” in his 40 years of practice.
He said the alleged offending was on such a large scale that it raised questions about whether the management of the hospitals had sufficient safety measures in place to protect their female staff against such behaviour.
“I can see them getting somewhere around $300,000 to $400,000 for pain and suffering.
“Potentially you’re talking about some really big payouts,” Mr Carbone said.
Mr Carbone said the number of alleged victims seeking legal assistance was “filtering through thick and fast” at multiple Carbone Lawyers firms across Melbourne, including 10 clients who sought assistance from the Epping firm and another 10 in the CBD.
He said the clients included nurses, doctors, admin staff and radiologists who worked at the three major Melbourne hospitals, and anticipated many more would come in to seek help in the coming weeks.
Mr Carbone encouraged those wanting to know their rights or where they stand on seeking compensation to come forward for advice.
“I can advise them on what treatment they can obtain, how to protect their interest, and how to preserve their rights,” he said.
At a bail hearing last month, police alleged that Dr Cho had more than 4500 “intimate images”, some of which he ranked.
The alleged offending spanned from 2021 to 2025.
Dr Cho was denied bail and will appear in court at a later date.
An Austin Health spokesman said they “acted without delay” to alert police and continued to support affected staff.
“We take the safety and wellbeing of our staff extremely seriously,” he said.
Peter MacCallum chief executive Professor Jason Payne said the alleged crimes were “very confronting” to everyone at the centre, and they were providing a “broad range of supports”.
“We continue to look at additional ways we can assist staff as well as working with Victoria Police,” he said.
A Royal Melbourne Hospital spokeswoman said “our focus is on supporting our people during this distressing time”.
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/nurses-doctors-could-receive-big-payouts-from-melbourne-hospitals-after-they-were-allegedly-filmed-in-toilets/news-story/5fdba89714695d8797a0dbf684a06e87
