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Health Infrastructure Minister John Carey has declared “the problem will be over for him” as he embarks on wholesale reform of the state’s flagging hospital care program following the publication of a scathing investigation.
Former Treasurer Michael Barnes and former Health Department boss Neale Fong have made 24 scathing findings about the state of WA’s hospital care system, including that it lacks clear key performance indicators, aggregated data and compliance oversight and is reactive rather than preventive.
The review compared the state with other healthcare bodies in Australia and New Zealand and found WA was one of the few regions without a structured continuity program to replace aging facility equipment such as air conditioning and ventilation.
It was also revealed that maintenance expenditures do not have any targets or criteria.
The report also found that low-value maintenance work was subject to “overly prescriptive controls” that were necessary but caused delays, as a result of past corruption watchdog investigations.
Carey launched the audit following the reports in August last year. Western Australia About mold and water leaks in WA’s aging hospitals.
Carey said Fong and Barnes’ audit provided “frank and fearless advice” that the government would take action on.
“Let me be very clear, ultimately the responsibility for this reform program falls on me. I am the Minister of Health Infrastructure. I have to fulfill this,” he said.
“We have a big job ahead of us, but as the state’s first Minister for Health Infrastructure, I am determined to lead this shake-up in procurement and contract management, as I did as Minister for Housing.”
Asked why he harshly defended the state’s hospice care program last year, Carey said he accepted the audit’s findings.
“I take them seriously. I know we have a big job ahead of us and I am committed to procurement reform,” he said.
Carey said the government’s response to the report would include engaging the Ministry of Housing and Works to speed up procurement processes.
It will also create a dedicated healthcare sector panel to streamline care and establish KPIs and set clear expectations for care activities across hospitals.
He also pledged to provide greater transparency around care spending in future state budgets.
Healthcare providers have been at the center of a number of high-profile corruption investigations, including an investigation in August 2018. The bribery detected in the purchase went undetected in the maintenance and contracting department of Northern Metropolitan Health Service for nearly 10 years.
When asked about the risk of corruption that could be caused by loosening procurement processes, Carey said there was a balance to be struck.
“It’s a thoughtful approach. It’s a fine balance. But we wanted an independent review. This was an independent review that proved to us that it was doing a system-wide audit,” he said.
“There will still be significant checks and balances through the system administrator, which is the Department of Health.”
In August last year, a $50 million Health Asset Care Fund was established to deliver a care blitz at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Royal Perth Hospital and Armadale Health Service.
Only $6 million worth of work has been completed so far at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and Royal Perth Hospital; An additional $14 million was committed to ongoing work.
Department of Health Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bowen acknowledged she may need to do more to discuss care issues with the WA Government.
“We have actively voiced that we have work to be done,” he said.
Asked by a reporter if the government’s raises had worked, he said: “Maybe they haven’t worked.”
Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas said he would be embarrassed today if it were Carey.
“These failures come to his mind. He cannot say that I have been in office for five minutes. He has carried this portfolio for the entire term of the current Parliament. So this is his responsibility,” he said.
“I would be particularly embarrassed if I were Prime Minister, I would be particularly embarrassed if I were Amber-Jade Sanderson. They carried the health portfolio for four years, then another four years into this term of Parliament.”
“What we’re seeing here is a systematic failure to act. There was no planning, no foresight.”
Hamish Hastie is WAtoday’s state political correspondent and the winner of five WA Media Awards, including the 2023 Beck Award for best political journalism.Connect with: excitement or email.
