Alexander v Heise & Anor

In *Alexander v Heise & Anor*, the appellant, Ms Alexander, appealed to the Supreme Court of Queensland (Court of Appeal) against a decision of a Master. The dispute concerned allegations of negligence against the respondents, who were medical practitioners. Ms Alexander contended that a medical receptionist employed by the respondents owed her a duty of care in the prioritisation of patients, and that this duty was breached, leading to harm.

The central legal issues before the Court of Appeal were whether a duty of care was owed by the medical receptionist to Ms Alexander in the context of patient prioritisation, and if so, whether that duty was breached. The Court was also required to consider whether all relevant information was communicated to Ms Alexander and the extent to which the exercise of judgment by the receptionist was relevant to these questions.

The Court of Appeal upheld the Master's findings, determining that no duty of care was owed by the receptionist to Ms Alexander in the manner alleged. The reasoning focused on the nature of the receptionist's role and the established principles of negligence, particularly concerning the scope of duties owed in a medical context. The Court found that the receptionist's actions did not fall within the scope of a duty that would render the medical practitioners liable for negligence in this specific circumstance.

Consequently, the appeal was dismissed with costs, and a cross-appeal was also dismissed with costs.