Page 938 - Week 03 - Thursday, 21 March 2019
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Madam Speaker, these are important points from the Health Care Consumers Association. I agree with them. We need to improve data reporting, and we are working with the consumers association on exactly that.
The lack of balance from the opposition is staggering. It is unbelievable. In their quest to inflict political damage, the Liberals would do well to reflect on their responsibility as leaders and as an alternative government. So far, in my view and the view of many others, they have done nothing to demonstrate their capacity to lead, only the capacity to tear down.
On the subject of culture within public health services, this is something I have carefully considered in my time as health minister.
Mrs Dunne interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: You were heard in silence, Mrs Dunne.
MS FITZHARRIS: Indeed, I identified early on that there were governance issues within ACT Health that had let our health workforce down for some time. I stood up in front of Health staff a year ago and spoke to them directly about this. I took responsibility for instituting change to turn this around. I was pleased that through the accreditation process these issues were bought to the surface and our new leadership team were able to address them.
Workplace culture is a significant issue, and one that the government will continue to address. I called for an independent review into workplace culture last year following the split of ACT Health into two organisations, to ensure that our health system can continue to deliver high quality care. We have, as I have stated, agreed to all the recommendations from the report in principle.
It is simply incorrect for the opposition to claim that I have not acknowledged this. I stood up in front of ACT Health—now Canberra Health Services—staff over a year ago and spoke to them directly about this. Those opposite have persistently misled by saying that I have not acknowledged this. They can look back on the record to find many occasions when I said that things need to be improved.
The report recognises, as Mrs Dunne said, that this is a national issue. It recognises also that there are some issues here and in other health services that are decades old. But the fact that over 2,000 people engaged in the process, and that the panel members held close to 100 meetings and workshops, shows that they trusted the process. They trusted the process I instituted, and they trusted the panel that I appointed. It was a panel of respected individuals with extensive experience and skill in the health sector and I again thank them for their work.
One of the key recommendations was to establish a cultural review oversight group. Together with Minister Rattenbury, I will hold the first meeting by the end of this month.
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