Page 1641 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 9 May 2018
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I want to be clear that the government has accepted all of the recommendations in the “not met” report and is actively responding to each issue. I can advise the Assembly that the infrastructure works in the adult mental health unit have already started, with significant progress already made. Additionally, arrangements for the independent review and the advisory body are currently being finalised.
The accreditation report also noted the need to improve practices related to discharge summaries across ACT Health, including in mental health wards. Work is now happening both to address the backlog of outstanding records and to improve IT systems and make that process easier to complete in a timely manner in the future. The forward agenda on this is particularly important, to make it easier for staff to get this done, to ensure that patients receive this and also to make sure that staff can do it in a timely and efficient manner and focus on not only getting this done but then having more capacity to spend time with patients.
In relation to justice health services, the report included a recommendation to reduce exposure to second-hand smoke for staff working at the Alexander Maconochie Centre. ACT Health have advised me that a response to this issues is being worked through with ACT corrections, and I expect that a practical solution can be resolved for that matter quite readily.
I want to assure the Assembly and the Canberra community that progress against each item is being closely monitored by both me and Minister Fitzharris in the lead-up to the advanced completion survey in July. ACT Health has developed an action plan to respond to each of the “not met” criteria in the accreditation report, and a national standards leadership committee, chaired by the interim director-general, has been established to oversee the implementation of the action plan.
In particular, I want to reassure the community that despite the recommendations in relation to the adult mental health unit, the unit remains the safest place for people in Canberra with an acute mental illness who need inpatient care. As I have already noted, infrastructure works are underway to remove the identified ligature points. Additionally, it is important to reinforce that it is not simply the physical environment that is a measure of safety. The role of staff supervision and the treatment an individual is receiving are critical in reducing, as much as possible, the risk of harm.
The governance concerns raised through the accreditation process are an issue that impacts across all of ACT Health. As Minister for Mental Health, I know these issues are important for clarifying reporting lines and responsibilities, including in our mental health services. The decision that the government has taken to split ACT Health into two agencies is one important part of the work being done to help address these governance issues.
The reality is that as our city grows, so too does our health system. And there is a reason why other, larger jurisdictions have adopted similar governance arrangements to what is being proposed in ACT Health. The complexity of health systems should not be underestimated, especially for a system that is now providing services not only for over 400,000 people here in Canberra, but also for those coming in from
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