Page 1288 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 3 April 2019
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Members may also be aware that we have released for public consultation the ACT’s approach to public maternity services. That work has also been underway over the past 12 months, particularly with the Women’s Centre for Health Matters, who undertook a significant level of stakeholder consultation to inform the development of this new model of care. This is a very exciting opportunity for women in Canberra, and I encourage anyone who may want to make a submission to the current broader community consultation to do so. It is a wonderful new model and I think it will continue to serve Canberra women and their families very well.
So a range of matters has been followed up. We will continue to do so because—(Time expired.)
MRS DUNNE: Minister, why is it the case that there does not seem to be the capacity for front-line staff to follow up such serious allegations as that which the health service received on 7 February?
MS FITZHARRIS: I do not agree that there is not the capacity. I certainly know that the staff in our maternity services, particularly at Centenary, work extremely hard. They are highly valued by the Canberra community. I know that there is also significant data available that speaks to the quality of outcomes from Centenary hospital.
Some of that data has been provided to the maternity services inquiry and I have encouraged Canberra Health Services to make more data available through the context of that maternity services inquiry so that the Canberra community can be in no doubt about the very high quality of care and the very good data that is available that demonstrates this very high quality of care.
I certainly take a complaint seriously but what I also take seriously is the feedback we have, which is overwhelmingly positive, about the staff who undertake our really important work caring for women, families and babies 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I balance appropriately my concern about individual complaints with the ongoing wellbeing and support of Canberra Health Services staff.
MS LAWDER: Minister, have you contacted the person who contacted you on Saturday about this matter?
MS FITZHARRIS: As I indicated yesterday, that contact was made anonymously. I have had discussions with my office and I will follow up on that.
Mrs Dunne: Point of order. Just by way of clarity, the person who contacted Ms Fitzharris on Saturday contacted her by email. The question was: has she responded to it?
MS FITZHARRIS: It is certainly the plan that my office is to respond. I will take advice on whether that has occurred. Madam Speaker, I would be clear that, as the opposition know, the signature was “Anonymous”. It is also the case that I do respect initially—I absolutely do respect—someone who signs off an email as “Anonymous”.
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