Page 4846 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 27 November 2018
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running our public healthcare system to collaborate further, to engage with one another, and to develop their leadership skills. This is good practice, recognised good practice, in developing a leadership team that is responsible for the delivery of our public health services to the ACT, public health services that this community highly values.
Canberra Hospital—HEPA filter maintenance
MR PARTON: My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. It refers to the draft accreditation report that noted:
At the time of survey, the most recent HEPA filter maintenance report—
and for the benefit of the Assembly, HEPA stands for high efficiency particulate air—
was reviewed and it was noted that in comparison to a 2016 report, not all Canberra Hospital HEPA filters in the theatre complex were listed as tested. The anomaly was reported to the health service and despite a 48 hour search no record or explanation could be given for the missing HEPA filters on the recent test record.
It was reported in the media on 19 November that theatre 14 was closed after mould was found in one of the HEPA filters. Have all the problems with the HEPA filters in the operating theatre complex been fixed?
MS FITZHARRIS: Matters in the draft accreditation report, again, are the subject of considerable debate. I remind members that subsequent to the first draft accreditation report, ACT Health received full and complete accreditation, including on matters related to HEPA filters and subsequently in July—
Mrs Dunne: On a point of order, Madam Speaker, the question, while mentioning the survey, was about the HEPA filters in the theatre complex, and what the survey pointed out was that not all the HEPA filters in the theatre complex had been tested. Mr Parton’s question was directly: have all issues with HEPA filters been fixed?
The minister, according to the standing orders, needs to be directly relevant to the question.
MADAM SPEAKER: Whilst I notice that I managed not to stop the clock, I think the minister was less than 30 seconds into the answer. Minister you have time to complete your answer and provide that information.
MS FITZHARRIS: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I believe it was about 20 seconds. What I would say is that I believe this was also covered in annual reports hearings last week, as there is an ongoing and required schedule of monitoring HEPA filters. That will continue. If there are issues identified in the HEPA filters they will be fixed with priority to make sure that clinical services can continue.
MR PARTON: Minister, has theatre 14 had any problems since June with its HEPA filters?
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