Page 5913 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 8 December 2010

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(2) calls on the Minister for Health to:

(a) table in the Assembly the findings of the inquiry into bullying and harassment complaints in the Women and Children’s Obstetrics and Gynaecology Unit at TCH; and

(b) provide copies of the findings of the inquiry to the people who made submissions.

We have discussed this issue before in this place quite extensively, but it is important that we go back and look at the history of what has occurred here to explain why we need to find out what has actually occurred at the Canberra Hospital. In February this year it was revealed that a series of complaints had been made by doctors at the women’s and children’s gynaecology and obstetrics unit by staff that were there and former staff. Some of the quotes that arose at that time were that staff were being “victimised and ruined by this toxic work environment” and “the toxic culture of the workplace at TCH in women’s and children’s health is responsible for this exodus of staff”.

It became clear that over the period preceding the complaints being aired on the ABC, over 15 months, nine doctors, including four registrars, had left the unit. It is important to note that four were registrars. If you are at a point of walking away from receiving a qualification—essentially walking away from your career—it really highlights how severe things had become at the obstetrics unit.

The first response from the minister and from the department was to deny that any complaints had been made. This is where the cover-up on this issue actually started—right at the outset, when the minister denied it and said, on ABC radio, “Well, what issues, Ross? This is the frustration I have.” She tried to give the illusion that no complaints had been made, but we know that Dr Elizabeth Gallagher and numerous others had actually been making complaints repeatedly through the hospital system. But the minister and the then Acting Chief Executive of ACT Health denied that any complaints had been made.

It is important to note what a complaint is in this context. On radio 666 on 18 February, Peggy Brown said, “There are a number of ways that they can raise their concerns. They can raise them through the management of the Canberra Hospital.” She said that was the way it could be done. That is exactly what the obstetricians did. They repeatedly raised their concerns through the Canberra Hospital and through the
acting chief executive, but the acting chief executive denied that any complaints had been made.

On radio on 17 February Peggy Brown said that the department had not received any formal complaints. This is from ABC online:

“No complaints, specific complaints, have been brought to the attention of ACT Health …

That has been proved to be false. I quote further from ABC online:


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