Page 4032 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 26 November 2014
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My reading of the situation, albeit from a distance—and that is the situation we are all in—is a picture of staffing, interpersonal and relationship issues that are clearly flowing over into the day-to-day operations that relate to running a training hospital. While I am concerned about the longer term issues that may be stemming from these cultural issues, it is fair to say that the ACT Greens would be more alarmed by any suggestions of people’s health being directly compromised, and that does not appear to be the case. I have only ever heard positive stories of mothers’ experiences of the new hospital.
RANZCOG’s job in this report is to not delve into the longitudinal health outcomes of women and mothers but to gauge the effectiveness of the training environment. That should then appropriately be the focus of this debate, and that is the discussion we are having. What this ultimately amounts to is that we have six months to judge the minister’s ability to realise the needed changes and six months to address the RANZCOG concerns. I am sure the health minister will be working hard to address the systemic and temporary issues that have been identified. No health minister would want to preside over a unit that has been under such a management cloud nor face the possible loss of its accreditation.
I appreciate that the amendments moved by Ms Gallagher seek to table all actions taken since 2010 and a summary of actions that will be taken in 2014-15. Again, the Chief Minister’s amendment goes significantly to addressing what I think is Mr Hanson’s key point about accountability and action being taken. The Chief Minister has identified a range of points in that amendment. Further, she has indicated a willingness to table by next week—in a very timely manner—a summary of actions taken to address concerns raised in the unit since 2010, as well as a summary of ACT Health’s work with staff of the unit to address the areas for improvement raised by the college in 2014. We have seen a clear commitment to action.
The real test for the health minister is what is actually being done. There is all the politics and all the noise that goes around these things and there are the media reports. But from my point of view the real aim is making sure that the issues that have been raised are being tackled. I think we will have a very clear point of accountability in six months because the college has indicated that that is when it will come back and check this accreditation.
I do not think we need trial by media or the politics of the Canberra Liberals. We will have this objective test of accreditation. That is a real point of accountability, and that is certainly a benchmark I will be looking very closely at. We have an undertaking here from the health minister to provide that information to the Assembly, and the college is playing a very clear role of ensuring that the steps that have been put in place are appropriate to address the concerns that have been raised. On that basis I will not be supporting the motion as moved, but I will be supporting the amendment moved by the health minister.
MR HANSON (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition) (10.41): I will speak to the amendment and close. I must say that I am disappointed that, again, information we are looking for and assurances we are calling for are not going to be provided. I am not particularly surprised that Mr Rattenbury is once again falling into line, despite
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