Page 2501 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 1 August 2018
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issues, how they can work more collaboratively to get the best outcomes for patients, and ensuring that ACT Health is a great place to work.
The ACT government is committed to delivering on our priorities in the health portfolio and ensuring that our public health system is best positioned to plan for and deliver services to our community now and into the future. We know that a key feature of this is ensuring that our health workforce is well supported.
The changes that have been implemented by ACT Health during accreditation have already gone some way to addressing issues around culture and governance within ACT Health. While we recognise that there is more work to do, I am confident that we have the leadership and plans in place to continue to drive improvements across the organisation.
As the amendment states, the government will provide an update to the Assembly later this year as this organisational development work progresses and the improvements to staff culture continue to be implemented. I know it is important that, as we continue to undertake this work, we are open and transparent, both in this place and with the broader community, about what is happening.
Canberrans need to be able to have confidence in our healthcare system, to know they can rely on our services in times of need. I have spoken about a lot of the positive work that is already underway and both I and Minister Fitzharris are committed to this process and coming back to the Assembly with more information over the coming months.
I want to conclude my remarks by reflecting on some of the observations that Mrs Dunne has made today. They are very serious and concerning stories and accounts that she has provided. They are obviously distressing to listen to. I share the concerns that she has spoken about for those individual staff members and others about whom she has not spoken today. I am also concerned about the reflection Mrs Dunne made about her own staff being impacted by this. I think that we need to do some work, probably outside the chamber, to have a conversation about how some of these matters can be progressed immediately rather than as a collective accounting in this place. We cannot let matters like that go on individually.
In the case of Charlie, whom Mrs Dunne spoke of, clearly that is a case of something that was taking place at the most senior levels in our leadership. We need to have ways to make sure that those circumstances are held to account. I would very much welcome, and I know Minister Fitzharris made some comments this morning on radio, thinking about a way to work on those specific matters more particularly going forward.
As I am out of time, I will simply commend my amendment to the Assembly and reflect on the fact that we have more work to do in this space.
MR BARR (Kurrajong—Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development and Minister for Tourism and Major Events) (11.42): I thank the Minister for Mental Health for his contribution, and particularly also for undertaking
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