Page 1976 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 5 June 2018
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be taken to address concerns at the Hume Health Centre, where staff are exposed to high levels of smoking by inmates.
ACT Health has since received confirmation from the ACHS that this particular recommendation will not be assessed as part of the advanced completion survey. However, ACT Health is still taking steps to address this issue. A joint workplace health and safety risk assessment with staff from the Justice and Community Safety Directorate has been conducted to address the issue.
A report has been provided to the Executive Director of Mental Health, Justice Health and Alcohol and Drug Services, and Minister Rattenbury and I have been informed that a solution is being implemented.
While still on the subject of governance, I would like to update the Assembly on the work being undertaken to address the two core not-met actions that the ACHS identified as carrying a risk level of “extreme”.
To address these two risks, the following important work is underway: capital works to address ligature points in the mental health inpatient units continues, with 39 of 40 ensuite doors removed at the adult mental health unit as of 4 June. Further work to minimise risk from ligature points is underway and will continue beyond accreditation.
An independent external review of the acute inpatient mental health facilities occurred in May. The independent external review team attended mental health facilities and reviewed the safety and efficiency of the model of care; policies and procedures; patient cohort; workforce, skill mix; unique admission criteria to each unit; physical environment; and service demand.
The final report from this review has been provided to ACT Health for consideration. The mental health advisory body, whose role is to oversee the independent expert review and the implementation of the recommendations from this review, has been established and includes clinicians, ACT Health staff, consumer and carer representatives, and an independent chair. This advisory body will meet in June this year following the completion of the external review.
I turn to standard 3, preventing and controlling healthcare associated infections. The ACHS assessed ACT Health as having seven core actions not met in standard 3, which covers the prevention and control of healthcare associated infections. Concerns were raised about several key infection control indicators. ACT Health facilities management produces environmental reports, including water sampling testing and results, and HEPA filter, or air quality, maintenance reports.
These reports were previously sent to the infectious disease threat planning committee, but following a recommendation from the accreditation report, facilities management now provides their environmental reports to the healthcare associated infections standard committee. This committee is the means for reporting and escalating issues related to standard 3, and the recommendation from the accreditation report offers a useful improvement on what was current practice.
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