❓ A parliamentary question regarding the Peel Health Campus review. The Minister's response details the review's findings, defends the hospital's performance, and criticises the opposition's previous scrutiny based on a now-discredited source.
AnsweredQoN 25Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
''PEEL HEALTH CAMPUS: CONTRACT MANAGEMENT AND CLINICAL OUTCOMES''
—REPORT TABLING
25. Mrs G.J. GODFREY to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the minister's announcement on 6 December
2012 that Professor Bryant Stokes would undertake a review of Peel Health
Campus. I welcome the news from the Premier that the review was recently
completed and tabled earlier today. Can the minister please update the house on
developments at Peel Health Campus?
—REPORT TABLING
25. Mrs G.J. GODFREY to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the minister's announcement on 6 December
2012 that Professor Bryant Stokes would undertake a review of Peel Health
Campus. I welcome the news from the Premier that the review was recently
completed and tabled earlier today. Can the minister please update the house on
developments at Peel Health Campus?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
I am pleased that the report has been tabled now. I was
satisfied with the quality of the report by Professor Bryant Stokes, who always
does an excellent job in a very unbiased and fair manner for all concerned. As
we heard earlier, he found four main points. He found no evidence of
compromised patient care; no evidence of clinically improper admissions; the
clinical decisions unit was established for appropriate clinical reasons; the
payment structure was a satisfactory outcome for the state's
investment; and further that the operation has satisfactorily fulfilled the
patient care contract. Therefore, the way that was managed is a very pleasing
outcome for government. He did find some issues, as we heard earlier, with the
contract itself. Members will remember that it was Kevin Prince as the Minister
for Health at the time who established that hospital in the first place. That
is a long time ago and it was one of the very early contracts for a private
sector partnership with government for providing that service.
Just recently the hospital was purchased by Ramsay Health
Care, which is a very good outcome. I noticed today that the chief executive
officer of Peel Health Campus, Neale Fong, has stepped down. I wish him well.
He did a very good job in his brief period at the hospital. The hospital, of
course, has provided an excellent level of care. However, one would never have
known that from the debates that went on in this house and the comments that
were made by members on the other side of this Parliament about what was
happening at Peel Health Campus. An inquiry was started to hear evidence from a
person who is now a proven fraudster. Members on the other side of the house
came into the chamber with great glee and tried to flog the government. In
particular, they tried to get Tony Solin, our candidate for Mandurah, to say
that the hospital was corrupt and that his behaviour at the hospital was
corrupt. They tried to attack the government. I well remember —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Order, members! Member for Mandurah, I call you for the first time.
Dr K.D. HAMES : I
very well remember what the former member for Balcatta said in this place. He
was a member of the committee that listened to the proven fraudster give
evidence about actions at the hospital. He came into this house and attacked
the government about things that he alleged the committee would find. I first
had my suspicions about Ashton Foley when I read the transcript of evidence
that was put before the committee. Questions were asked. She was given a minor
opportunity to have a crack at me during that speech. The Labor members on that
committee —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Order, member for Kwinana!
Dr K.D. HAMES : It
is impossible to say anything with this constant interjecting.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Kwinana, I call you to order for the first time.
Minister, please come to the point and address your answer to the Chair.
Dr K.D. HAMES : I
am attempting to, Mr Speaker, but it is very, very difficult.
My suspicions were first raised when she overrode one of our
upper house members of Parliament to try to get in an attack on me. Before the
election—a few days before Christmas—I received a phone call at
my house from a reporter about allegations that she had made about me
supporting two local sailors from my electorate who are trying to get into the
Olympic Games. I refer to Tessa Parkinson and Kate Lathouras, who are fantastic
girls. She attacked me. What I would like to know is what communication and connection
she had with the opposition. All the evidence that we have is that she had no
contact with the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and that there were no
meetings with him and no discussions with him. Is that what happened? She might
have gone to the member for Mandurah in the first place, but he is an
honourable guy. He would have said that he was not dealing with that rubbish
and that she should speak to the shadow Minister for Health—and from
there it went. There was constant communication between the two trying to drum
up old history to attack the government on an issue that involved someone who
had been proved to be a fraudster. The shadow minister should stand up and tell
us what contact and communication he had and what hand he took in this whole sorry
sordid affair.
I am pleased that the report has been tabled now. I was
satisfied with the quality of the report by Professor Bryant Stokes, who always
does an excellent job in a very unbiased and fair manner for all concerned. As
we heard earlier, he found four main points. He found no evidence of
compromised patient care; no evidence of clinically improper admissions; the
clinical decisions unit was established for appropriate clinical reasons; the
payment structure was a satisfactory outcome for the state's
investment; and further that the operation has satisfactorily fulfilled the
patient care contract. Therefore, the way that was managed is a very pleasing
outcome for government. He did find some issues, as we heard earlier, with the
contract itself. Members will remember that it was Kevin Prince as the Minister
for Health at the time who established that hospital in the first place. That
is a long time ago and it was one of the very early contracts for a private
sector partnership with government for providing that service.
Just recently the hospital was purchased by Ramsay Health
Care, which is a very good outcome. I noticed today that the chief executive
officer of Peel Health Campus, Neale Fong, has stepped down. I wish him well.
He did a very good job in his brief period at the hospital. The hospital, of
course, has provided an excellent level of care. However, one would never have
known that from the debates that went on in this house and the comments that
were made by members on the other side of this Parliament about what was
happening at Peel Health Campus. An inquiry was started to hear evidence from a
person who is now a proven fraudster. Members on the other side of the house
came into the chamber with great glee and tried to flog the government. In
particular, they tried to get Tony Solin, our candidate for Mandurah, to say
that the hospital was corrupt and that his behaviour at the hospital was
corrupt. They tried to attack the government. I well remember —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Order, members! Member for Mandurah, I call you for the first time.
Dr K.D. HAMES : I
very well remember what the former member for Balcatta said in this place. He
was a member of the committee that listened to the proven fraudster give
evidence about actions at the hospital. He came into this house and attacked
the government about things that he alleged the committee would find. I first
had my suspicions about Ashton Foley when I read the transcript of evidence
that was put before the committee. Questions were asked. She was given a minor
opportunity to have a crack at me during that speech. The Labor members on that
committee —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Order, member for Kwinana!
Dr K.D. HAMES : It
is impossible to say anything with this constant interjecting.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Kwinana, I call you to order for the first time.
Minister, please come to the point and address your answer to the Chair.
Dr K.D. HAMES : I
am attempting to, Mr Speaker, but it is very, very difficult.
My suspicions were first raised when she overrode one of our
upper house members of Parliament to try to get in an attack on me. Before the
election—a few days before Christmas—I received a phone call at
my house from a reporter about allegations that she had made about me
supporting two local sailors from my electorate who are trying to get into the
Olympic Games. I refer to Tessa Parkinson and Kate Lathouras, who are fantastic
girls. She attacked me. What I would like to know is what communication and connection
she had with the opposition. All the evidence that we have is that she had no
contact with the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and that there were no
meetings with him and no discussions with him. Is that what happened? She might
have gone to the member for Mandurah in the first place, but he is an
honourable guy. He would have said that he was not dealing with that rubbish
and that she should speak to the shadow Minister for Health—and from
there it went. There was constant communication between the two trying to drum
up old history to attack the government on an issue that involved someone who
had been proved to be a fraudster. The shadow minister should stand up and tell
us what contact and communication he had and what hand he took in this whole sorry
sordid affair.
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