Page 1782 - Week 05 - Thursday, 16 May 2019
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As members are aware, this led to a public response by CHS, as the CEO felt it important to reassure Canberra families and staff that these claims were unsubstantiated but also that such allegations must be investigated.
The CEO assured staff that they would be supported and encouraged to raise such matters so that they could be adequately investigated and addressed. CHS have a range of ways staff can raise such issues, and while I accept that the maternity inquiry is one way to raise these matters, these are extremely sensitive issues involving real women, doctors and midwives who work together every day, and they deserve to be handled sensitively.
After this matter was raised in the media on 11 March, the CEO held a meeting with maternity staff on 12 March to discuss their reaction to the reports and the issue of consent more broadly. At this meeting the CEO sought to reassure staff to feel confident and supported in the workplace; reiterate the processes around consent and the need to work constructively together; ensure staff are aware of their obligations to report any concerns they have if they think such a thing has occurred; and advise staff on how they can make a report, whether it is through Riskman, anonymously, through CHS, through the Health Services Commissioner or via other means.
The CEO has said very clearly to all staff that all feedback is followed up respectfully, that any consumer complaints or staff reports will be investigated and that staff can have confidence in these processes. Of course, when claims are made anonymously, by either a staff member or a consumer, they can be difficult to follow up. I am sure those opposite would be the last to expect that we would conduct a witch-hunt into who has made an anonymous submission; so I hope we can agree that it is often inappropriate to try to track down someone who wishes to remain anonymous and to provide feedback anonymously. We must respect their rights. In saying that, all matters are followed up as best they can be, and staff are always given an opportunity to view feedback as it might relate to them.
This leads me to the issue of an anonymous email that was sent to the CHS feedback portal in February this year. When this issue arose in the last sitting period, I should have said that initial advice to me was that there was no substantiated consumer feedback regarding examinations without consent that had been received but that an audit review of consumer feedback was being undertaken.
I always come into the Assembly and answer questions to the best of my knowledge and on the advice provided to me at the time. If new advice comes to light, I correct the record. Further advice to me is that there is currently no substantiated evidence that examinations without consent in maternity services have occurred.
I acknowledge again that this is a serious matter and one that both I and CHS take very seriously. Every effort has been made, and will continuously be made, to ensure that this is the case. Following an audit review of consumer feedback, I was advised that a total of five pieces of feedback were received on this issue. Three pieces were received last year and two this year.
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