Page 2500 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 1 August 2018

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(3) calls on the ACT Government to:

(a) continue to promote and improve existing ACT Health internal mechanisms for hearing and investigating complaints;

(b) instruct the new Director-General of ACT Health and the new CEO of Canberra Hospital and Health Services to drive a culture of respect and zero tolerance for bullying in the two new organisations as a priority of the ACT Government; and

(i) the number of bullying complaints, investigations, outcomes and actions in ACT Health and Calvary Public Hospital Bruce;

(ii) improvements to staff culture and behaviour through the implementation of the ACT Health organisational changes, the Quality Strategy and other measures as appropriate; and

(iii) the process for the next Staff Culture Survey that will examine staff engagement, sentiment and views on the culture of ACT Health.”.

Madam Assistant Speaker, on 1 October 2018, ACT Health will separate into two distinct organisations, one focused on clinical and medical service delivery and the other on health system management, strategic policy and planning support functions. It will bring the ACT into line with other jurisdictions and modernise ACT Health’s organisational and governance structure.

As part of the separation of ACT Health, and with new leadership in the two organisations, there is a further opportunity to focus on positive workplace culture. My motion highlights the government’s commitment to driving further cultural change through this process. I understand that staff are already being engaged and have been provided with opportunities to help in developing the details of the new structure, including its governance and feedback mechanisms.

As part of the preparatory work underway, there is also a larger piece of work being carried out that is focused on organisational development. This work, which is being led by the interim director-general of ACT Health as a matter of priority, is focused on the cultural needs of the organisations, in particular for the first six months of operations. It will be underpinned by a focus on values, genuine engagement with staff and leadership across the organisations. And it will provide the opportunity for us to embed an even more positive workforce culture across our health system.

Minister Fitzharris and I have been briefed by the directorate on this work, and the government is confident that the plans that are being put in place by the ACT Health leadership will ensure that there is a strong and positive cultural foundation for both new organisations moving forward.

Before concluding today, it is important to acknowledge that the staff culture within an organisation of more than 7,000 people is not something you can change overnight. But it is clear, through the accreditation process and as we move to split ACT Health into two, that there are vast improvements being made to the way that staff can raise

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