MDA Season 2, Episode 8: A Bird in the Hand

1

Eternity

The MDA team must deal with the painful aftermath of the attempted murder of Ella, Jamie and Tony. Despite eight hours in the operating theatre, Tony dies and the effect on the survivors is far-reaching and profound. While Jamie is eerily withdrawn, Ella comes to accept the loss. Caitlin waits for the injured Ella's return to work and then, goaded by Richard, announces her new job at Richard's firm. Happy will never forgive her and it is another blow for the fragile Ella. A locum legal case manager, Amanda McKay, joins MDA while Ella and Jamie recover. She works with Caitlin and Happy in defence of an IVF doctor accused of breach of contract. An IVF baby has died soon after birth, due to an undiagnosed genetic condition. MDA successfully defends the doctor, but the case could have far reaching consequences for IVF doctors and their patients. Meanwhile, Ella and Amanda go into mediation against Gretel Celeste, a medium who claims to have lost her psychic powers as a result of an appende

55 min

2

Chinese Walls

Caitlin tackles her first brief at Kato & Pittman: a potential million-dollar claim from an apparently permanently injured plaintiff against a doctor who admits negligence. But Caitlin is fooled: the man is faking his injuries. Happy is maliciously delighted to prove Caitlin, his former protégée, wrong. Richard is calm, but Caitlin is kicking herself. At MDA, Jamie clumps about on crutches and Happy interviews replacement case managers for Caitlin's position at MDA. Amanda is miffed that she must apply for the job she had thought she was doing so well. At the same time, Amanda and Ella are at odds as Ella relentlessly uncovers the conspiracy behind a doctor who neglected to tell his patient that she had contracted gonorrhoea from her husband. On the very day of her job interview, Amanda's letter of the law approach runs head-on into Ella's more complex moral position on medical indemnity. Amanda thinks she's blown it, but her nerve and forthright honesty get her the job.

55 min

3

Precious Little

Ella and Happy face a hard fight defending a doctor who trusted a pathology report and thus missed a cancer in a nine-year-old boy. The biopsy slides and the pathologist are missing. Richard becomes emotionally involved with the terminally ill boy, and is shaken to discover that the parents absolutely refuse to tell their son he's dying. With the trial fast tracked, Ella enlists unpredictable surgeon Mr Simon Lloyd as an expert witness. His care and passion for the case and the mediation provide unexpected results and a violent response from Richard, when Simon breaks the rules and confronts the grieving parents. When the elusive pathologist shows up, she confesses she got it wrong and Ella is devastated. At Kato & Pittman, Caitlin is reminded of her junior status when Richard has her drawing up wills. But Caitlin discovers her client's husband could well have a very large med-neg claim against their GP, who failed to diagnose kidney failure. It should be an easy and big win for Caitli

55 min

4

A Time and a Place

Richard and Caitlin represent a nun who has had a complete mastectomy of a perfectly healthy breast. Happy and Amanda defend the surgeon who mixed up the biopsy results. Amanda's defence - that the loss of a breast is not an adverse outcome for a nun - is inventive, to say the least, and Happy is both shocked and impressed. Ella is shocked and disappointed. Still in turmoil after her brush with death and the loss of Tony, Ella is offered a fulltime job as Head of Emergency at her hospital, St Alban's. Of course this would mean quitting MDA. Jamie is thrown further off balance when Wendy tells him she's still thinking of joining Doctors Without Borders and doing aid work overseas. Before that issue can even be discussed, Ella, Jamie and Wendy try to save a young mother who urgently needs a heart transplant. They must persuade the grieving parents of a brain dead boy to accept that he is gone and to allow their son to be an organ donor in time. But bureaucratic delays and a fateful meeti

55 min

5

Aftershocks

Ella, unhappy at Happy and Amanda's legal tactics over representing a deceased MDA member, tells Happy that she's been offered a fulltime job at St Albans Hospital. As she thinks it over - and then accepts the job - she approaches surgeon Simon Lloyd as her replacement. When Happy realises that Ella really is leaving MDA, he regards it as a betrayal. Caitlin and Richard argue over the case of a woman left with paralysed vocal chords after a throat operation. Caitlin thinks the woman has no case, but cunning Richard finds a point of attack. The real source of tension between them is Caitlin's new lover, Justin. Over at MDA, a psychiatrist seeks Amanda's advice. The police are bugging her therapy sessions with a man they suspect of murder. Amanda realises that man is Justin. What does she do about it?

55 min

6

Taking it on the Chin

Surgeon Simon Lloyd has his first day as a case manager at MDA, as Ella sadly packs up to leave. Layla prepares a farewell, while Happy buries himself in work. Amanda and Simon work together on the paralysed vocal chords case, but Amanda doesn’t know what to make of the enigmatic Simon. While Richard and Caitlin also prepare for the vocal chords case, he learns accidentally that the police suspect Caitlin’s new lover of murder.

55 min

7

Paved with Good Intentions

Layla tries to help an old school friend whose sister is brain damaged after a pethidine overdose. Before long, Happy and Jamie are dealing with a writ naming five defendants, who cannot agree on damages or tactics. Meanwhile, Richard finds the plaintiff’s family equally hard to handle. Simon and Amanda argue heatedly about representing a med student accused of sexual misconduct. Caitlin, still vulnerable, identifies with the victim.

55 min

8

A Bird in the Hand

Layla feels helpless, guilty and then angry as the pethidine overdose case heads for court and a "victim friendly" judge. Everyone seems to want something from her—and she only wanted to help. A surprise reversal in court forces Happy to revise his strategy.

55 min

9

Crossing the Line

The press takes an interest as Happy and Amanda gear up for an appeal hearing in the Supreme Court. On the plaintiff’s side, Caitlin is doing all the work and Richard is taking all the credit—as usual.

55 min

10

A Closer Walk

Richard’s in the middle of a tough mediation when his larrikin Dad arrives from retirement in Tasmania to tell Richard he’s remarrying. Dad was a tram driver and things are a little tense with his high-flier son.

55 min

11

A Reasonable Passion

The group of doctors suing MDA now personalise their grievances and attack Happy in the media. But Happy fights back—with some help from a retired Flying Doctor. The old doc is being sued for negligence in delivering a baby, but Jamie discovers he can’t remember the incident at all.

55 min

12

Judgement Day

Happy and Simon are dismayed when the MDA Board refuses to indemnify a neurosurgeon for experimental spinal surgery. While the paraplegic patient waits hopefully in hospital, Happy, Simon and Mark work to overturn the decision.

55 min

13

St. Crispin's Day

Happy Henderson has a very busy day. Negotiating with Richard Savage to contain a potentially huge damages claim, Happy also tries to avoid being sacked while lobbying to keep Mark Matthews as President of MDA.

55 min

14

The Samaritan Kind

Simon Lloyd is very taken with an attractive GP, who amputated a farmer's arm to save him from a burning truck. But is she all she seems?

55 min

15

All Care, No Responsibility

Happy Henderson is trapped into representing a rude and egotistical surgeon, suspected of euthanasia, at a coronial inquest. Happy needs Simon Lloyd's help, but the two are at odds when Simon returns from Germany and resigns.

55 min

16

Caveat Medicus

Happy Henderson's ordeal at the coronial inquest continues, but cracks appear in his surgeon client's facade. To Happy's chagrin, Simon Lloyd becomes indispensable. Richard Savage sues for "wrongful birth".

55 min

17

Second Bite

Happy's son Jason tells Happy he's seeing a psychiatrist and wants Happy to come to his next therapy session.

55 min

18

Conflict of Interest

Happy is amazed and dismayed when his son's psychiatrist is accused of sexual misconduct.

55 min

19

Bigger Fish to Fry

Richard Savage is determined to secure the biggest damages claim in Australian history when he represents a top tennis star whose career may be over after shoulder surgery.

55 min

20

Without Prejudice

Simon and Amanda represent a well-meaning GP whose teenage anorexic patient died under his experimental treatment.

55 min

21

Pas de Deux

Ella becomes involved with an unqualified and anarchic Russian doctor Mikhail Voronin.

55 min

22

Memento Mori

Richard turns to Happy for help when his old mentor, whom he is representing, threatens to expose his sometimes dubious practices.

55 min