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MDA is an Australian television series that aired between 2002 and 2005 on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It concerned the day-to-day operation of legal firm MDA, which specialised in medical defence.
2002
Ella Davis' long time friend Olga Stiles, an obstetrician, is facing charges in the Supreme Court for contributing to the massive brain injuries of a young woman, Kim Cusack, following complications with her Caesarean delivery. Opposing counsel Richard Savage employs a dramatic, emotive tactic to win the hearts of the jury, forcing Ella and Happy to call an adjournment to rethink their options. Meantime, Caitlin cuts her teeth on a case of surgery politics involving two doctors at each other's throats. The resolution for this one will need some truly lateral thinking. Jamie enlists Caitlin's help in some hands-on sleuth work to discover the truth about a woman's claim of sexual misconduct. As they prepare to enter final negotiations on the Cusack case, Richard confronts Ella with information that forces her to draw on all her resources to balance her own emotions with the tragedy suffered by a young couple.
Ella must get to the bottom of a tragic case in which an elderly man dies inexplicably, while the young doctor on duty insists he can't be held responsible for the death. Caitlin gets her day in court, when she refuses to be intimidated by a violent ex-crim, who wants to be compensated because his doctor didn't keep his tonsils for him after they were removed. A psychiatrist performs surgery on a young ballerina with disastrous consequences and turns to MDA for help. Happy must convince the president of MDA to extend indemnity to the doctor. Nick, Ella's partner, is offered a lucrative research position in Philadelphia and tries to use it to lure Ella back to him. Hoping to heal some of the damage done by his affair, Nick promises Ella greater commitment to their relationship.
When a GP is caught having sex with a beautiful blonde patient in his surgery, Ella must make a decision about whether MDA should fight to save his practice. He claims it was a one-off but his devastated wife is sure he's been having an affair. As Ella battles to keep her own emotions out of the case, Nick surprises her with his decision about the job offer in Philadelphia in an emotional showdown at the MDA office. Meanwhile Happy and Jamie attempt to out-manoeuvre Richard in the case of a vain but popular gym complex owner whose cosmetic surgery resulted in some unusual complications. And Caitlin unravels the mystery of a woman who claims her doctor gave her unwanted tattoos.
A young mum is suing her doctor after losing the sight in her good eye following surgery on the other. Is the surgeon to blame for not warning her of the one in 14,000 chance of sympathetic blindness - an effect with no known cause? Both Ella and Richard compete to enlist the famous maverick surgeon, Jock McGeoghan to their side, unaware that the presiding judge has a few surprises of her own. Jamie takes up the challenge when an attractive psychiatrist is accused of providing financial advice to a delusional, schizophrenic patient. Caitlin is drawn towards Richard's distinctive professional style, and Happy must face a personal health crisis.
Deanna Raye, a very recent gender reassignment patient is rushed into Dr Ella Davis' hospital Emergency Department after a suicide attempt. Now Ella finds herself in a conflict of interest. Deanna claims that she was an inappropriate candidate for her procedure and is suing her surgeon, the apparently arrogant Mr Vince Phillips. Dr Jamie Lawless and Caitlin King take on the case, once again locked in conflict with Richard Savage. Happy Henderson and Ella, meanwhile, represent Dr Michael Forsythe, a country doctor being sued by a man he had thought of as an old mate for a post-operative hernia. Or is the old mate just trying to pay for his new fence - and ruining Dr Forsythe's reputation into the bargain?
Smooth, plausible psychiatrist Dr Oliver Maudsen is up before the Medical Practitioners Board on a charge of sexual misconduct. When a second victim comes forward, Ella clashes with Happy as she wrestles with the conflict between her duty to represent an MDA client and her personal morality. Richard Savage represents Tina Morello, who claims negligence for an ""unnecessary"" hysterectomy, but then refuses to settle - until Caitlin sees the reason why. And at the hospital's Accident & Emergency, cultural and procedural issues arise for Ella when some family members needing non-emergency medical attention visit intern Tony McKinnon.
Ella calls on the services of a long lost love Paul Bennett, a romance from Uni days to provide an Expert Opinion in the tragic case of a woman claiming damages because her doctor failed to diagnose one of her twin babies with Spina Bifida. Failure to detect spina bifida twelve years earlier has the mother, Kathy Langley, briefing Richard Savage to claim for negligence and financial hardship. Happy, preoccupied with his own imminent colonoscopy, tries to understand why an up-tight doctor would give a patient with a swollen ankle a vaginal examination. Meanwhile Caitlin and Jamie look into the case of the radiologist in trouble for a highly unusual practice involving his dog And Ella and Caitlin employ a creative tactic in an attempt to appease an angry man who wants to sue his doctor because his wife had an abortion behind his back.
Ella becomes increasingly ambivalent about fighting a case against the mother of twin boys, one of whom has spina bifida. Her expert witness, Paul Bennett, seeks to rekindle their med school relationship. At MDA, Happy, in high anxiety about the results of his colonoscopy, tries an unusual approach with a doctor who has had a Hepatitis C test done without his patient's consent. Meanwhile, Richard Savage tests Caitlin's career ambitions by getting her invited to a Law Society lunch; and Jamie falls for a heroic and beautiful young doctor facing a Coronial Inquiry and a possible manslaughter charge.
Happy represents Dr Wendy Rossi at the Coronial Inquest into the patient who accidentally died at her hands in ICU. Jamie is frantic: he's Wendy's case manager, but he's fallen in love with her too. As MDA's reinsurer goes bust, leaving the organisation financially exposed, Ella and Happy fight Richard Savage on behalf of a doctor who allegedly mismanaged a delivery, thus causing a child's spina bifida. Caitlin deals with the case of an obstetrician who let slip the sex of a baby, preventing the mother having a termination. And arrogant plastic surgeon Mr Phillips is in trouble yet again.
Caitlin and Jamie are in conflict when they represent a young anaesthetist, whom Caitlin is sure is not what he seems. For Ella and Happy, it's a feeling of ""here we go again"" with another psychiatrist accused of sexual misconduct, but luck, Ella's intuition and Happy's legal skills reveal the truth. Jamie guesses the real problem for a frisky senior citizen who claims he's shorter after a circumcision, but he's dubious when Ella suggests that the best lawyer to defend Wendy Rossi is Richard Savage.
All on the one night: As Ella and Tony deal with one emergency after another at St Albans Hospital, Layla makes her first public speech to first year med students - and wins a heart. Richard draws out a straightforward mediation till late at night to impress his client - but not Caitlin - and the mediator notices something going on between them. Back at MDA, the Board grapples with the collapse of their insurance company and whether MDA will defend Wendy Rossi on her manslaughter charge.
Ella persuades Richard to defend Wendy Rossi and takes on the case of neurosurgeon Dr Phil Jacobs, whose brain-damaged patient suffered an unknown trauma in a neuro recovery ward. Meanwhile, Tony and Ella face a Coronial Inquest over a head-injury patient who left Emergency after refusing treatment and died the next day. As Richard gears up to represent the dead man's family, Caitlin's affair with Richard is discovered and Happy explodes. Jamie sorts out the matter of a GP-acupuncturist who accidentally left a be-needled patient locked in her rooms.
Happy represents Ella and Tony at the Coronial Inquiry, discovering that Sam, Layla's med student boyfriend, witnessed the incident in question. But Happy also strongly suspects that Caitlin is leaking information to Richard Savage. While Jamie worries about Wendy and her imminent manslaughter trial, he also has to deal with case of a man suing over a pubic area shave. Ella and Caitlin advise a GP who thinks a child may be the victim of sexual abuse.
The MDA team have the strange experience of barracking for Richard Savage as he defends Dr Wendy Rossi against a charge of manslaughter. Just as Ella and Paul Bennett are drawing apart, she is drawn into a problem with Paul's father, an elderly GP who is treating Paul's mother and making dangerous mistakes. Ella's GP client discovers that what he thought could be child sexual abuse is chicken pox, but now the child's father is suing.
MDA and Richard Savage actually work together to sort out an angry and guilty young man, who is desperate to blame a palliative care doctor for the loss of his cancer sufferer father. Richard represents an aspiring model and actress against a plastic surgeon for an ""unnatural"" breast enhancement. Loser lawyer Helena finally gets a strong case of ""vicarious responsibility"" against a psychiatrist whose patient jumped from a window in her absence. Richard sets up a job interview for Caitlin with a prestigious law firm.
Richard goes up against MDA, representing a model and dancer who claims her breast enhancement looks unnatural. A country doctor mistakes pregnancy for menopause in an older woman. Meanwhile, Happy is a very anxious father when his misfit son Jason comes into MDA to fix the website. At the hospital, Tony suspects that a teenager's severe injuries are not accidental. MDA gets an audience with the Minister for Health over the medical indemnity insurance crisis. And pregnant Ed thinks about moving to the country.
As Happy is pre-occupied searching the city for his estranged son Jason, Caitlin takes over the breast enhancement case against Richard - with some surprise help from Jamie. A country GP, under-qualified in obstetrics, loses a mother after childbirth. Unfortunately, it's not his first disaster. Tony loses confidence and grows increasingly anxious over the impending civil action against him and Ella. She, meanwhile, is just beginning her battle for a top surgeon charged with misdiagnosis of cancer, amid huge and growing public sympathy for the dying woman.
Ella and the MDA team must move fast when the case of young mother Debbie Shanahan, dying of cancer, is brought forward. Richard Savage plays the sympathy card for all it is worth. Despite a clear conflict of interest, Happy persists in representing a psychiatrist whose patient committed suicide and was Happy's son's best friend. Jamie has to tell plastic surgeon Vince Phillips that he is in trouble yet again, and deal with an angry med student, who is already being sued.
Ella (Kerry Armstrong) must play medical fact against a tough judge and enormous public sympathy when the Debbie Shanahan (Suzi Dougherty) case against breast surgeon Teresa Commons (Toni Scanlan) goes to trial. Tony (Aaron Pedersen) is demoralised by the press coverage as he worries about the negligence writ against him and Ella. Layla (Petra Yared) tries an unusual way to reconcile Happy (Shane Bourne) and his estranged son, while Caitlin (Alice McConnell) and Jamie (Angus Grant) deal with an MDA member who wants a no claim bonus.
Jamie (Angus Grant) is dismayed when a very depressed Wendy Rossi (Daniela Farinacci), back in town for her Medical Board hearing, rejects his help. Ella (Kerry Armstrong) confronts the big problem of a country GP practising as an obstetrician without the proper training. A mother and then a baby have died in childbirth. But who else can deliver the region's babies? Vince Phillips (Steve Kearney), the subject of six negligence writs in the past year, but now a member of the MDA Board, makes a surprise revelation.
As Ella and Tony wait for the verdict in the negligence case against them, MDA receives a class action writ from 72 of their members, alleging MDA lied about the organisation's financial health. Jamie goes to a kids' soccer match to hear about a job offer, but gets stuck there when a boy is injured on the field. Meanwhile, Richard interviews a possible new client, a convicted murderer, who claims anti-depressants made him do it. Happy gets an unusual message from his son Jason.
Ella must talk inexperienced nurses in a remote rural area through life-saving procedures by phone. She and Caitlin clash with Richard (Jason Donovan) over the ethical issues involved in IVF. At the same time, Richard tries to calm his client Alison who's still angry after the verdict in her civil action against Ella and Tony Layla gets an unsettling e-mail from Vietnam, as Happy tries to secure indemnity cover for important but very experimental medical research. The class action and a flood of new claims puts MDA's future at risk, but new Board Member Vince Phillips is full of ideas.
Streaming availability information not available
Petra Yared
Layla Young
Shane Bourne
Bill 'Happy' Henderson
Angus Grant
Dr. Jamie Lawless
Angie Milliken
Amanda McKay
2005
A charismatic, brilliant geneticist, Professor Robyn Masterson approaches MDA to get indemnity for a daring medical experiment. Happy begins to question his work at MDA.
Julia Delvecchio is concerned that the break-in at the lab has compromised the team's work, but Robyn is determined it will not force any delay in the trial on Belinda.
Convinced that there is much more to Julia's story than she let on, Amanda again raises her doubts over Professor Robyn Masterson.
In the final chapter of MDA: Second Chance, Happy is forced to make a decision that threatens both Robyn's career and Belinda's future.
In Departure Lounge, Vince Colosimo stars as an anaesthetist whose suspicions are raised by the high rate of infant deaths within his own hospital. Does he blow the whistle on his boss and risk his own career?
Dr Morello doesn't know where to turn in this week's episode of MDA: Departure Lounge. Ted Walsh, recovering from his surgery, hints that Andrew is not the only one to have concerns about Mr Carr, but nobody is prepared to go public.
Concerned that Andrew's hospital commitments are too onerous for him to also serve MDA's needs, Happy recalls Jamie from his holiday.
In the final episode of Departure Lounge, Happy announces that Andrew will have to contribute a large amount towards the settlement of the Jye Foster case, as he put MDA in a difficult negotiating position.
A dedicated intern at an outer suburban hospital, struggles to clear her name when she is accused of incompetence.
Things seem to be going from bad to worse for Dr Liz Gibson as the Health Review Board launches a new inquiry into her competence relating to her treatment of a patient who she failed to question properly.
Following the death of patient Fiona Murphy, the press launch an attack against the staff of Prospect Valley Hospital, in particular Dr Liz Gibson's boyfriend Dr Tim Whitney.
In the final episode of MDA, Happy is hospitalised after his heart attack and Dr Liz Gibson again has to front the Health Review Board.
2003
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
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.
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
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
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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".
Happy's son Jason tells Happy he's seeing a psychiatrist and wants Happy to come to his next therapy session.
Happy is amazed and dismayed when his son's psychiatrist is accused of sexual misconduct.
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.
Simon and Amanda represent a well-meaning GP whose teenage anorexic patient died under his experimental treatment.
Ella becomes involved with an unqualified and anarchic Russian doctor Mikhail Voronin.
Richard turns to Happy for help when his old mentor, whom he is representing, threatens to expose his sometimes dubious practices.