WHERE ARE THE OBSTETRICS REVIEWS KATY?
The Health Minister must clarify why the two reviews into obstetrics have not been released despite the head of Health saying the reports are due to have been completed last month. If she or her department have the reviews then they must be released immediately to prevent further concerns that the serious allegations raised by obstetricians will not be covered up, Jeremy Hanson, Shadow Minister for Health said today.
During estimates the Acting Chief Executive of Health, Peggy Brown, said that both reviews where due to be completed, ‘sometime towards the end of June we should have an outcome’. At the same time Ms Gallagher said ‘we will release the clinical review as soon as possible’. (Estimates, 18/5/10).
“It is now a month from that commitment and the community still has not seen either review. The question for the Health Minister is, why the delay? What is in the reports that are causing the Minister to renege on her commitment?
“Katy Gallagher has consistently denied the serious allegations regarding clinical outcomes and bullying since they were first raised by obstetricians earlier this year. She dismissed the allegations publicly although subsequently admitted that there had been a ‘war that has existed in obstetrics for in excess of 10 years’.
“She refused to conduct an inquiry under the Inquiries Act 1991, which would have seen a transparent process, but rather announced that two separate reviews would be conducted.
“The Minister must immediately explain what has happened to the reviews. Has she or her department received the reviews, when where they received, and why have they not been released?
“For the Health professionals and more broadly the ACT community, it is not good enough to have the department and the Minister not release the reviews in full, given the reviews were investigating the culture and clinical outcomes within the Department. Failure to release the reviews will be seen for what it is, a further attempt to cover-up serious allegations and breach of public trust,” Jeremy Hanson concluded.
23 July 2010
