Page 3127 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 22 August 2012
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MS BRESNAN: Thank you. The UK’s Francis report has been a wake-up call, and we should listen to rather than blindly copy the UK’s past mistakes. They have recently suffered one of their biggest NHS scandals. It is alleged that the Mid-Staffordshire’s NHS trust put government targets and cost-cutting ahead of patient care, which resulted in deaths of patients. Patients were neglected as staff focused on ticking boxes and medics discharged patients hastily out of fear they risked being sacked for delays.
As I said earlier, having spoken to a number of health groups, it is quite clear that they think the Liberals’ campaign is pushing the wrong way. I was ridiculed by Mr Hanson and Mr Seselja in the estimates recall hearing on the matter for asking about the need for quality indicators rather than just focusing on waiting times. I and other people are extremely frustrated by having to come back constantly and talk about a personal connection that the Liberals are trying to suggest exists rather than the fact that the system is open to manipulation—that has been stated by other states in the past and it is in use in hospitals across the country—and how we can improve this and focus on the quality of care delivered to patients. I would have thought this would be in everyone’s interests.
I would also like to go to comments today from former Chief Minister Kate Carnell. Firstly, the matter of no confidence brought against Ms Carnell is not the same as the matter we are addressing today, and others have come out and said this publicly today also. Ms Carnell raised the personal relationship again with the person involved in tampering with data as being the key issue. Again, this matter has been cleared by the Auditor-General.
I also have to say that I find it extraordinary that someone who is head of a national mental health organisation would make claims that the Assembly is being too soft and go to personal matters as a legitimate means of attacking a member of parliament. We have seen the results of such actions on members of parliament where personal matters have been pursued, resulting in members retiring due to depression and people attempting to take their own lives. I think that should be a reminder to everyone of the personal toll, not just on members but on their families, when there is a relentless pursuit of someone because of a personal matter.
I would also like to go to the public accounts committee report, which was released yesterday. Mr Hanson made certain claims about that yesterday also. It is important to go to the media release the public accounts committee put out, and I commend them for what they put out in that media release. It says:
The Committee has striven to consider the incident that gave rise to the Audit in the wider context of the delivery of health care. It has endeavoured to focus beyond the “blame game” and to be forward looking in its examination of the findings and recommendations of the Audit report.
I commend the committee on making that statement in the press release. This is something which, I know, a large number of health groups are very frustrated with in terms of where the debate on this matter has gone.
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