❓ Mr Cook questions the Minister for Health regarding a letter from Esperance Hospital doctors detailing staff/management issues, and the Minister's subsequent dismissal of concerns despite WACHS acknowledging a problem. The Minister defends his actions, citing a personal dispute and support for the regional manager.
AnsweredQoN 88Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ESPERANCE HOSPITAL — STAFF COMPLAINTS
88. Mr R.H. COOK to the Minister for
Health:
I refer to the minister's
claims last week that he would respond to doctors' concerns who
contacted him directly, rather than as the doctors at Fiona Stanley Hospital
did, who contacted The Sunday Times about their concerns about bullying and intimidation.
(1) Can the
minister confirm that in June 2014 he was hand-delivered a later from three
doctors at Esperance Hospital detailing their concerns about the breakdown of
the relationship between staff and management at the hospital?
(2) Can the
minister confirm that he did not respond to that letter?
(3) Why did the
minister, in the media, dismiss their concerns as not substantiated when
separate correspondence from the WA Country Health Service accepted that there
was a problem at the hospital?
88. Mr R.H. COOK to the Minister for
Health:
I refer to the minister's
claims last week that he would respond to doctors' concerns who
contacted him directly, rather than as the doctors at Fiona Stanley Hospital
did, who contacted The Sunday Times about their concerns about bullying and intimidation.
(1) Can the
minister confirm that in June 2014 he was hand-delivered a later from three
doctors at Esperance Hospital detailing their concerns about the breakdown of
the relationship between staff and management at the hospital?
(2) Can the
minister confirm that he did not respond to that letter?
(3) Why did the
minister, in the media, dismiss their concerns as not substantiated when
separate correspondence from the WA Country Health Service accepted that there
was a problem at the hospital?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) The
particular doctor concerned—the one that the member might have read —
Mr R.H. Cook : It was three doctors.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : So said, but coming from Dr Jacobs' practice, I do not
know what other doctors were involved, it was put together by a particular
doctor, Dr Howarth, who raised concerns largely around circumstances in which
there was a dispute within the hospital—largely a dispute between him
and one of the nurses. Two issues happened in the hospital. One was that there
was a patient who was dying, and there was criticism at the time because some
of the staff had fish and chips in the theatre at the time that the family were
brought in, and that family complained. That led to another series of
complaints and discussions and that led to some of the complaints against the
regional nurse.
Mrs
M.H. Roberts : The question was about you explaining whether you read it.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : This is complex. There is not a simple answer because it is a complex
situation in Esperance and there are different personalities at play who are
involved in this, not just one.
There was a lot of criticism about
Geraldine Ennis, who is our regional manager there. I think she is one of the
best regional managers I have ever seen. She is an amazing woman and she does a
fantastic job. A lot of the criticism was directed at her. I have to say she
got pretty angry at that situation as it occurred.
There was another situation with a patient
and their treatment by the emergency doctor. This doctor was the one looking
after them. The regional nurse, who I think might have been the same regional
nurse involved in other issues with either Ms Carey or Dr Howarth, had problems
in that the regional nurse was concerned about the behaviour of two nurses and
their ability to manage that patient with Dr Howarth and what they were being
asked to do. She asked for a copy of the notes so that she could go through
them. Dr Howarth was extremely angry that the nurse was, in effect, questioning
his judgement. Her response was that she was not; she was questioning the
behaviour of the nurses themselves. Anyway, this led to a dispute. The doctor
withdrew some of his services from the hospital and was extremely critical of
the management of the hospital, the senior management of the hospital and the
district management. When we went down there, which I think was for a regional
cabinet meeting, we had meetings with people who came in. That doctor came in
with two other doctors. He had a brochure of stuff that he wanted me to go and
investigate largely around the issues of the regional nurse manager, Mrs Ennis.
The other doctors wanted to talk about other issues, particularly the building
and the location of the general practitioner clinic next to the hospital. I received
that document from Dr Howarth, but made it quite clear at that meeting that I was
not interested in discussing issues related to his dispute with the manager
because, remember, I do not employ anyone within the health service. They are
all employed by the director general. I said that those issues are not what I was
there for and they are not what I was concerned about. I said that I wanted to
discuss the other issues around the building. The other doctors with him took
over and that is what we talked about in a very amicable and constructive way.
After we got over that first issue, I found that meeting very productive.
However, regarding the issues that Dr Howarth raised about the regional
manager, I do not accept the views that I read in the report he put forward. I find
her to be a superb manager in regional health. She has won awards for the
quality of management of regional health in the state and I back her 100 per cent.
particular doctor concerned—the one that the member might have read —
Mr R.H. Cook : It was three doctors.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : So said, but coming from Dr Jacobs' practice, I do not
know what other doctors were involved, it was put together by a particular
doctor, Dr Howarth, who raised concerns largely around circumstances in which
there was a dispute within the hospital—largely a dispute between him
and one of the nurses. Two issues happened in the hospital. One was that there
was a patient who was dying, and there was criticism at the time because some
of the staff had fish and chips in the theatre at the time that the family were
brought in, and that family complained. That led to another series of
complaints and discussions and that led to some of the complaints against the
regional nurse.
Mrs
M.H. Roberts : The question was about you explaining whether you read it.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : This is complex. There is not a simple answer because it is a complex
situation in Esperance and there are different personalities at play who are
involved in this, not just one.
There was a lot of criticism about
Geraldine Ennis, who is our regional manager there. I think she is one of the
best regional managers I have ever seen. She is an amazing woman and she does a
fantastic job. A lot of the criticism was directed at her. I have to say she
got pretty angry at that situation as it occurred.
There was another situation with a patient
and their treatment by the emergency doctor. This doctor was the one looking
after them. The regional nurse, who I think might have been the same regional
nurse involved in other issues with either Ms Carey or Dr Howarth, had problems
in that the regional nurse was concerned about the behaviour of two nurses and
their ability to manage that patient with Dr Howarth and what they were being
asked to do. She asked for a copy of the notes so that she could go through
them. Dr Howarth was extremely angry that the nurse was, in effect, questioning
his judgement. Her response was that she was not; she was questioning the
behaviour of the nurses themselves. Anyway, this led to a dispute. The doctor
withdrew some of his services from the hospital and was extremely critical of
the management of the hospital, the senior management of the hospital and the
district management. When we went down there, which I think was for a regional
cabinet meeting, we had meetings with people who came in. That doctor came in
with two other doctors. He had a brochure of stuff that he wanted me to go and
investigate largely around the issues of the regional nurse manager, Mrs Ennis.
The other doctors wanted to talk about other issues, particularly the building
and the location of the general practitioner clinic next to the hospital. I received
that document from Dr Howarth, but made it quite clear at that meeting that I was
not interested in discussing issues related to his dispute with the manager
because, remember, I do not employ anyone within the health service. They are
all employed by the director general. I said that those issues are not what I was
there for and they are not what I was concerned about. I said that I wanted to
discuss the other issues around the building. The other doctors with him took
over and that is what we talked about in a very amicable and constructive way.
After we got over that first issue, I found that meeting very productive.
However, regarding the issues that Dr Howarth raised about the regional
manager, I do not accept the views that I read in the report he put forward. I find
her to be a superb manager in regional health. She has won awards for the
quality of management of regional health in the state and I back her 100 per cent.
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