Wayne Harvey, a 69-year-old Australian expat, died in a Balinese hospital in January 2023 following surgical complications. His son, Jake Harvey, sought urgent assistance from Australian consular services for a hospital transfer due to his father's rapidly deteriorating condition and a critical missing passport. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) later conducted an internal review of the case, issuing an apology for communication issues, though concluding these were unrelated to the medical outcome.
Deteriorating Health in Bali
Wayne Harvey, who had been living in Bali since 2018, was admitted to Puri Raharja hospital in Denpasar on December 24, 2022, with suspected appendicitis. Following surgery, the hospital reported complications, and Mr. Harvey's condition rapidly deteriorated. His death certificate listed "non-contagious illness."
Jake Harvey stated his belief that his father died from septicaemia resulting from a ruptured bowel following the appendix removal.
Jake Harvey described the Puri Raharja hospital environment as unhygienic, noting observations of stray animal defecation and a surgeon moving between patients with bloodied sleeves.
Hospitalization and Urgent Need for Transfer
Treating doctors at Puri Raharja hospital recommended transferring Wayne Harvey to a hospital of Australian standard, specifically Professor Ngoerah public hospital, for further treatment. A significant impediment to this recommended transfer was the inability to locate Wayne Harvey's Australian passport.
Consular Services Engaged
On January 1, 2023, six days before his father's death, Jake Harvey contacted Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)'s 24-hour consular emergency centre. He requested assistance in facilitating a hospital transfer and specifically requested an emergency passport to enable this, informing officials that his father was unconscious and critically ill.
Communication Challenges and Missed Opportunities
Consular officials initially cited the Privacy Act, stating they could not discuss Wayne Harvey's condition without his permission. Jake Harvey reported that the consulate provided a link to general travel information on the SmartTraveller website. Multiple follow-up emails from him, including requests for passport information and sharing photos and videos of his father on life support, went unanswered.
According to one account, following further urgent communication from Jake Harvey on January 3, the consulate later emailed him a summary of his father's condition. The Australian consulate in Denpasar, located a short distance from the hospital, did not visit Wayne Harvey.
Wayne Harvey's passport was eventually located after Jake Harvey arrived in Bali. However, by that time, the hospital advised that a transfer was no longer medically possible.
Death and DFAT's Post-Mortem Review
Wayne Harvey died on January 7, 2023, at Puri Raharja hospital. Jake Harvey was instructed to remove his father's body from the intensive care ward within two hours of his death, which involved disconnecting medical tubes. Consular assistance was offered to Jake Harvey after his father's death, which he found to be unhelpful at that stage.
On January 9, 2023, Jake Harvey lodged a formal complaint with DFAT regarding the management of his father's case. Over two years later, in October 2025, DFAT acknowledged the complaint and issued an apology through assistant secretary Paula Brewer.
The apology stated that the department "did not initially have a clear understanding of the seriousness of his condition" and acknowledged that communication processes and timeframes around public holidays were not clearly explained.
DFAT further stated that an internal review found the case was managed in line with established consular procedures but identified areas for improved communication with family members. These identified areas led to implemented changes in DFAT processes. The review concluded that the identified communication issues were unrelated to the medical outcome.
Apology and Family's Ongoing Trauma
Jake Harvey expressed shock at the consulate's reported lack of understanding of his father's condition.
He maintains that a transfer to a hospital of Australian standard would have provided his father with a better chance, a sentiment he states was echoed by his father's treating doctor.
Jake Harvey described the experience as deeply traumatizing.