Page 2497 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 1 August 2018
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In addition to the existing internal processes that I have listed, we have a number of independent external oversight mechanisms in the ACT which anyone can access and use to raise concerns. These include the Health Services Commissioner, the Ombudsman, the Auditor-General and the Public Sector Standards Commissioner. All of these bodies play an important role in holding ACT government agencies to account, and provide an external avenue for complaints to be aired and investigated.
The government recognises that there have been some challenges for ACT Health over recent months. I in no way wish to shy away from this fact. It was clear earlier this year that ACT Health was struggling with its governance arrangements, and this issue was further identified through the recent ACHS accreditation process. Specifically, the surveyors identified a lack of clear accountability lines which had flow-on effects for the culture at ACT Health.
As we said at the time, the accreditation provided an opportunity for learning and improvement, and that is exactly what ACT Health has been doing over recent months. I can assure members that since March, and throughout the accreditation process, there has been substantial work underway in ACT Health to not only address these issues but also rebuild trust and genuine engagement with staff.
As a result of this work, the surveyors found an entirely different story at the beginning of July during the advanced completion survey. The surveyors observed ACT Health as an organisation of cohesion and teamwork, focused on what is best for the patient and achieving great outcomes.
What this feedback shows is that the organisation has changed significantly in a matter of months, and much of this change has been driven by strong leadership at all levels across the organisation. This is further demonstrated by ACT Health’s ability to come together as a team to implement all recommendations from the initial report and achieve re-accreditation. This is a result that should be recognised in a positive, productive light by all in this place.
As Minister Fitzharris announced yesterday, the final draft accreditation report is now with the ACT government for final comment and will be released in the coming weeks. But from the comments that the surveyors have made in this report, it is evident that a lot has changed in the directorate. While the report is still in draft, I want to share with members some of the comments that highlight the work that has been underway and the impact it has had.
The surveyors found that over the past few months the organisation has changed dramatically, implementing sustainable systems and processes that provide direction and strong governance from both corporate and clinical governance perspectives. The surveyors acknowledged the extensive work done by the staff across ACT Health to achieve this result. They found staff demonstrated commitment and focus to drive sustainable positive change in the culture of the organisation and have moved from a fragmented, divided organisation to one of cohesion and teamwork.
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