An Australian man died in a Balinese hospital just days after the Australian consulate failed to issue an emergency passport that his son says could have saved his life.
Wayne Harvey, an expat who had been living on the island since 2018, was 69 years old when he was admitted to the Puri Raharja hospital in Denpasar with suspected appendicitis on Christmas Eve in 2022.
After surgery to remove his appendix, the hospital advised his son in Australia, Jake Harvey, that there had been complications with the operation and that they were no longer able to care for Wayne adequately.
The hospital recommended that Wayne be moved to the nearby Professor Ngoerah public hospital for treatment, but his passport – required for the transfer to take place – was missing.
Jake, who is Wayne’s only son and next of kin, called the Department of Foreign Affairs’ 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre from Australia on 1 January 2023. He explained that his father was unconscious and critically ill.
He requested an emergency passport be issued for his father to enable the transfer.
The consular official advised that they could not discuss the situation with Jake without his father’s permission because of the Privacy Act.
For more than two days, Jake repeatedly emailed and phoned the consulate’s emergency assistance line requesting help, including sending confronting videos and photos of his father on life support.
On 2 January Jake advised the consulate that his father’s condition was getting worse.
The next day he wrote: “This is taking too long … I am sick to death of hearing about the privacy policy.” He asked the consulate to call the hospital to get Wayne’s consent for Jake to act on his behalf as next of kin. “If [you are unable to get his consent due to his medical condition] you need to start the process of talking to me.”
Jake says he emphasised that the consulate needed to help Wayne, even if they could not discuss the case with him.
On 3 January, the consulate emailed Jake a summary of his father’s condition, based on information it said was provided by an on-duty nurse. They conceded in the email that the hospital was “not up to Australian standard”, but suggested Wayne’s condition was “stable” and had improved.
But Jake says this was at odds with information he was receiving from doctors at the hospital and a friend of his father’s.
In response, later on 3 January, Jake wrote: “Regarding the transfer to the other hospital: we were told by the hospital staff member that Wayne doesn’t have his Passport, because it is in the immigration office … The hospital staff said he needs these documents to be transferred to the other hospital (Prof Ngoerah Public Hospital), if his condition worsens. Is the Consulate able to help with getting these documents?”
Jake received no response to this email and multiple follow-up emails.
The consulate did not issue an emergency passport, Wayne was not transferred, and he died in the Puri Raharja hospital on 7 January 2023.
Wayne Harvey’s body was then transferred to the morgue at the hospital that had been recommended for the earlier transfer.
A complaint about the handling of his father’s case, lodged by Jake two days after his father’s death in early 2023, was ignored for more than two years.
The Department of Foreign Affairs responded 27 months later, after Jake sent a second follow-up email in mid-2025 expressing frustration that he never received a response.
In late 2025 the Department of Foreign Affairs advised Jake that it had undertaken an internal investigation into the case and issued him an apology.
A letter sent from the department’s assistant secretary for the consular branch, Paula Brewer, in October 2025, seen by Guardian Australia, said the department had conducted a review of Wayne’s case based on Jake’s feedback.
“We acknowledge the concerns you raised about your interactions with the Consular Emergency Centre,” Brewer said.
“Your experience has been shared with the relevant teams and managers to help inform improvements in how we communicate with families during critical situations.
“In your father’s case, it appears we did not initially have a clear understanding of the seriousness of his condition. Once it became evident that he was unable to provide consent, the Consulate took steps to share information with you, including a medical report.
“However, I acknowledge that the process and timeframes involved – particularly around public holidays – were not clearly explained to you at the time. I am truly sorry for any additional distress this may have caused during an already painful time.”
Jake has since demanded further clarification, saying the department’s claim that it was not aware of the seriousness of his father’s condition was “unacceptable”.
“The consular services were contacted because his condition was so serious that he needed to be moved to a different hospital because the hospital that had him felt he needed more care,” Jake wrote in a November 2025 email in response to Brewer’s apology.
“He was unconscious following complications from having his appendix removed. He could not be moved without his passport and that was missing. That’s why consular services were contacted. We needed help with a passport.”
In response, the department said that it was basing its advice on information received from the hospital on 3 January, which stated Wayne’s condition was “stable”.
“We recognise how deeply distressing your father’s death has been for you and your family, and we are sincerely sorry the consular services provided in relation to Wayne’s case did not meet your expectations,” a consular official wrote.
“Consular officers are not medical professionals and must rely on the advice of treating medical staff regarding the seriousness of a person’s health condition and the appropriate treatment required.”
“We greatly appreciate your feedback, which helps us review and continually improve the support we provide to Australians overseas and their families.”
In response to questions from the Guardian, a DFAT spokeswoman said the department was “deeply sorry for the family’s loss and extends sincere condolences to the family.”
“An internal review found the case was managed in line with established consular procedures,” she said.
“It also identified areas to improve communication with family members and changes to DFAT processes have since been implemented. The review found these issues were not related to the medical outcome in this case.”
The department said it was constrained by privacy obligations in further discussing details of the case.