Mr CONLAN - 2008-09-17
In your media statement on 15 September 2008 concerning the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards accreditation at RDH, you said:
Is it not the fact that nurse staffing levels are not a mandatory element assessed by the council and, as such, has not been assessed in previous accreditations? How can Territorians have confidence in you, and in this process, when it does not even address key issues of nurse staffing as raised by the Coroner?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the member for Greatorex is correct in that Royal Darwin Hospital and other hospitals in the Territory have been accredited by the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards. From memory, it is the first time under this government that all hospitals have been accredited. Up to that time, all hospitals were not accredited in the Northern Territory.
In terms of the specifics that he asked, the accreditation process is quite a wide-ranging process. What I have asked the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards to do this time, and I have spoken with the CEO, Mr Brian Johnston, earlier today, apart from the usual accreditation process, is to have a specific focus on clinical governance within Royal Darwin Hospital.
The Australian Council on Healthcare Standards was formed in 1974. It was formed by the Australian Medical Association and the Colleges of Nursing in Australia. Very august groups came together to form this independent body, which is fiercely independent. They would resent anyone saying that they were not independent. They have access to panels of experts all over Australia and internationally. What I have asked Mr Johnson to do is to ensure, amongst other things is to have a focus on clinical governance to ensure that the …
Mr Elferink: Could you not ask David Ashbridge to do that?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, cease interjecting!
Dr BURNS: … panel members that they have access to, that those are chosen on the basis of clinical governance, not only in terms of nursing governance and medical governance.
I have every confidence in this body, and I have every confidence in what I have seen them do elsewhere. They have had some very hard issues to deal with in some Queensland hospitals, including Townsville General Hospital, so they are no strangers to issues that need resolving. I know the member for Nelson has spoken with Mr Brian Johnston today. I know the ANF has spoken with Mr Brian Johnston, and I believe the AMA is speaking with him later on this afternoon.
This is the way forward - to have a wide field of experts, who are very skilled in these areas, rather than a bunch of politicians, as being put up by the Leader of the Opposition, circling around, no expertise in their background, looking for a political circus. Lord knows, we had enough of that last week ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Dr BURNS: This morning, I was absolutely disgusted by the member for Greatorex and the things that he had to say about the CEO for the Health Department, Dr David Ashbridge …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Dr BURNS: Looking at the terms of reference in this particular motion that will be put up tomorrow, it talks about sitting fees and travel allowance paid to the committee members. Then it goes on to compelling evidence. What this is all about is bankrolling the member for Greatorex …
Members interjecting.
Dr BURNS: … to come up here and get the CEO for Health in front of him, and getting paid travel allowance while he is doing it ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! , Order!
Dr BURNS: That is disgusting. We do not want that. You talked about what the public wants. It does not want that sort of circus …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr Mills: That is disgraceful. I thought you were an educated man.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition, cease interjecting. Before I call the member for Nhulunbuy, I remind honourable members of Standing Order 51:
Honourable members, I would like you to take considerable notice of this or I will be putting people on warnings.
- Royal Darwin Hospital has been continuously accredited with the ACHS since 1996. Achieving accreditation means Royal Darwin has been judged against other hospitals nationally and is meeting relevant benchmarks for safe and consistent high quality care.
Is it not the fact that nurse staffing levels are not a mandatory element assessed by the council and, as such, has not been assessed in previous accreditations? How can Territorians have confidence in you, and in this process, when it does not even address key issues of nurse staffing as raised by the Coroner?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the member for Greatorex is correct in that Royal Darwin Hospital and other hospitals in the Territory have been accredited by the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards. From memory, it is the first time under this government that all hospitals have been accredited. Up to that time, all hospitals were not accredited in the Northern Territory.
In terms of the specifics that he asked, the accreditation process is quite a wide-ranging process. What I have asked the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards to do this time, and I have spoken with the CEO, Mr Brian Johnston, earlier today, apart from the usual accreditation process, is to have a specific focus on clinical governance within Royal Darwin Hospital.
The Australian Council on Healthcare Standards was formed in 1974. It was formed by the Australian Medical Association and the Colleges of Nursing in Australia. Very august groups came together to form this independent body, which is fiercely independent. They would resent anyone saying that they were not independent. They have access to panels of experts all over Australia and internationally. What I have asked Mr Johnson to do is to ensure, amongst other things is to have a focus on clinical governance to ensure that the …
Mr Elferink: Could you not ask David Ashbridge to do that?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, cease interjecting!
Dr BURNS: … panel members that they have access to, that those are chosen on the basis of clinical governance, not only in terms of nursing governance and medical governance.
I have every confidence in this body, and I have every confidence in what I have seen them do elsewhere. They have had some very hard issues to deal with in some Queensland hospitals, including Townsville General Hospital, so they are no strangers to issues that need resolving. I know the member for Nelson has spoken with Mr Brian Johnston today. I know the ANF has spoken with Mr Brian Johnston, and I believe the AMA is speaking with him later on this afternoon.
This is the way forward - to have a wide field of experts, who are very skilled in these areas, rather than a bunch of politicians, as being put up by the Leader of the Opposition, circling around, no expertise in their background, looking for a political circus. Lord knows, we had enough of that last week ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Dr BURNS: This morning, I was absolutely disgusted by the member for Greatorex and the things that he had to say about the CEO for the Health Department, Dr David Ashbridge …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Dr BURNS: Looking at the terms of reference in this particular motion that will be put up tomorrow, it talks about sitting fees and travel allowance paid to the committee members. Then it goes on to compelling evidence. What this is all about is bankrolling the member for Greatorex …
Members interjecting.
Dr BURNS: … to come up here and get the CEO for Health in front of him, and getting paid travel allowance while he is doing it ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! , Order!
Dr BURNS: That is disgusting. We do not want that. You talked about what the public wants. It does not want that sort of circus …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr Mills: That is disgraceful. I thought you were an educated man.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition, cease interjecting. Before I call the member for Nhulunbuy, I remind honourable members of Standing Order 51:
- No Member may converse aloud or make any noise or disturbance which in the opinion of the Speaker is designed to interrupt or has the effect of interrupting a Member speaking.
Honourable members, I would like you to take considerable notice of this or I will be putting people on warnings.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016