Bundaberg victims spokeswoman Beryl Crosby was devastated by the Supreme Court result but words failed her when she was asked her opinion of Dr Darren Keating and Peter Leck – the bureaucrats who have brought the health inquiry to its knees.

“I can’t go there (express what I feel about them),” Ms Crosby said yesterday. “I’m just so sad for the patients’ support group but even for them (Leck and Keating) – what have they been left with?

“They didn’t get any closure. They didn’t even get the chance to say what they knew about what went on at Bundaberg.”

Ms Crosby was told of the decision by Bundaberg Hospital Patients Support Group lawyers soon after the 2pm announcement and briefed members at a meeting in Bundaberg last night.

She would not criticise Justice Martin Moynihan’s decision but said it was unexpected.

“I feel like I’ve been hit with a brick,” Ms Crosby said. “I don’t know why we thought it would go the other way but we did, we didn’t expect this outcome.

“But it’s important to remember that it isn’t derailed yet. Let’s not give up hope. Let’s see what tomorrow (Friday) brings,”

Ms Crosby said the patients always believed Mr Morris was the right man for the inquiry post.

She said the victims would find it difficult to face a repeat inquiry, if that was what was decided.

“The patients’ support group could not go through all this again. This has been such a long, drawn-out haul but it also cannot finish because you can’t have three-quarters of an inquiry.

“It’s like having three-quarters of the answers but not the one-quarter. I can’t go against Moynihan’s decision and I can’t say he’s done the wrong thing. I just wish we had a different decision.”

Victims’ lawyer Ian Brown, who has attended many of the public sittings in Bundaberg and Brisbane, said he did not want a scenario where victims had to give their evidence all over again.

“We do not want to patients to be further traumatised. Their evidence is largely not controversial at all and it shoul dnot be re-taken,” Mr Brown said.

“What we are hoping is that the Government will act immediately to set up a new commission of inquiry and that largely what this commission has achieved to date can be grafted on to that new commission.”

Mr Brown would not comment on whether the Supreme Court’s decision was a fair one but he said patients where “deeply disappointed” by the outcome.

“The court has made its finding in relation to the apprehension of bias,” he said.

“Our main interest at the moment is that the Government act swiftly to ensure closure is achieved for the patients.”

Mr Brown said after the future of the health inquiry was decided, the next step for the patients’ support group was to secure a decision from the Queensland Government about adequate compensation for victims.

“The Government has agreed to take a fresh look at the issue of compensation for the victims of the Bundaberg Hospital fiasco,” Mr Brown said.

“For the sake of the patients, we are asking the Government to make a swift decision to ensure that compensation claims are dealt with fairly and quickly.”

Ian Fleming, who gave evidence at the Bundaberg sittings about his alleged mistreatment by Dr Jayant Patel, said many victims would have a sleepless night anticipating today’s outcome.

He said they would have preferred to have known the fate of this inquiry immediately rather than wait overnight for a decision.

“Nobody knows where the future of the inquiry will lie and that is the greatest concern and people don’t know whether they will be called to give evidence again,” Mr Fleming said.

“The best possible outcome will be the royal commission is allowed to complete its work but won’t be able to make any adverse findings against Leck and Keating.

“I think the Government is committed to ensuring that the health inquiry is not left in limbo.”