Page 2793 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 16 August 2017
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committee has been established, chaired by the director-general, who has taken a particularly proactive approach in ensuring that staff feel that they can report such incidents and that there is good leadership of all staff throughout ACT Health and at the Canberra Hospital in particular.
I also know that the colleges, including the emergency medicine college and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, among others, have taken it upon themselves to be extremely proactive in developing a set of protocols and guidelines that they expect all their members to adhere to. Some have even taken the extra step of initiating specific training for that particular college. I congratulate them very much on their proactive approach to stamping out bullying and harassment as part of medical culture.
MS LAWDER: Minister, what strategies have been put in place by the management of Canberra public hospitals to address employee concerns about these issues?
MS FITZHARRIS: As I referred to in my previous answer, the clinical culture committee takes a very proactive leadership role in Canberra Hospital. I can also advise that the people and culture branch provides ongoing information and support to managers who are managing allegations of bullying and/or to staff experiencing bullying in the workplace. Advice is frequently given to managers and staff based on information contained in relevant enterprise agreements.
ACT Health is continuing to expand the RED contact officer network, which now has 103 staff in it. These contact officers model and promote the ACT public service values and signature behaviours to develop positive work cultures across the ACT public service and provide information to staff seeking a solution to improve or resolve a workplace issue or situation. Managers and staff are advised of the support available to them as well through the employee assistance program.
MS LEE: Minister, what disciplinary sanctions are available for use against bullies in Canberra’s public hospitals and have those sanctions been applied in the past three years?
MS FITZHARRIS: The usual public service processes that I outlined in my previous answer would be applied very proactively. I will take the specifics of the question on notice.
Minister for Health and Wellbeing—ministerial briefing
MR MILLIGAN: My question is to the minister for health. I refer to the answer to estimates question on notice 516. Mrs Dunne asked:
Why did your incoming minister’s brief not include information about the risk status of the electrical system at Canberra Hospital …?
You replied:
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