Page 3333 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 17 August 2010
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The review team was unable to identify a specific trigger for the media comments in February 2010. A number of factors appeared to compound the disquiet of VMOs working outside the Canberra Hospital and triggered their writing to the Minister—
And that is the letter that I responded to. The moment I got those letters, I wrote back and I asked, “What are your concerns?” The report goes on:
These factors include:
• The resignation of two staff specialists in late 2009 …
• The placement of advertisements for staff specialists in September and then for VMOs in November raised discussion amongst potential applicants about the positions. This raised awareness amongst clinicians of the perceived problems in the maternity service …
• The recently-announced changes to the safety net provisions which are anticipated by some to reduce demand for private obstetric services …
• The moves by ACT Health to purchase Calvary Hospital, which raises the spectre of a takeover of Territory obstetric services by the Canberra Hospital …
• The development of a new Women’s and Children’s facility at the Canberra Hospital, which has raised the potential that the Canberra Hospital could absorb a greater portion of public births, making the Calvary public obstetric service less viable.
So the reviewers note that themselves and within that there is a little bit of doctor politics. I hate to say it, but there is. I can certainly stand here and say that there are doctor politics involved in this. The review has also identified a number of areas where we can improve the public maternity service, and we intend to do that.
No-one asked me to commission this review. You did not ask me to do it. I commissioned the clinical review of this service outside of the Assembly to respond and to make sure that when we move into the new women’s and children’s hospital we have the best maternity service for the people of the ACT. That is why this government is acting on all of those recommendations. There are a number of contentious recommendations which require further work with the clinicians involved.
Mr Seselja asked me what I knew. I think I have been through this a number of times in this place. I had asked my department a number of times after I received the letters. I can say to you that prior to receiving those letters from a number of VMOs, I did not have one complaint raised with me around the public maternity service at Canberra Hospital. There was not one complaint raised with me.
I get complaints and I get compliments. Indeed, it was probably the area of the hospital where I received the most compliments about the standard and quality of care. Since this review, I have received a number of representations from staff with complaints and probably almost an equal number of staff who have written with support around individuals working within that unit.
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