Staff at Bathurst, Orange and Bloomfield hospitals told an inquiry today about the failures of their profit-driven management model, including a staff member being repeatedly threatened with sexual assault by a patient and kept on the same ward by her supervisor until she quit, and medical and other inappropriately trained staff being relied on to respond to security incidents due to understaffing.
The NSW parliamentary inquiry into the issues at Calvary Mater Hospital in Newcastle heard from staff and union representatives about three hospitals operating under another public-private partnership.
Bathurst, Orange and Bloomfields hospitals are public hospitals where non-clinical services like cleaning and security are managed by ASX-listed firm, Downer Group.
Greens spokesperson for Health and Chair of the inquiry Dr Amanda Cohn said:
“We heard even more evidence that profit motives in public health care are compromising staff and patient safety.”
The committee heard serious allegations about patient and worker safety, including bullying and harassment, and “the absolutely disgusting” state of the wards, including mould in an area serving immunocompromised patients.
Karl Banham told the hearing he worked for NSW Health for 16 years as a plumber and now as a health security assistant at Orange Hospital.
“Mould has been found on roof, panels and walls, resulting in the closure and air around the renal dialysis area,” he said. “How can we be letting this happen in a public health area?”
Robert Danelon is employed by NSW Health as a wardsperson at Bathurst Hospital. He described how the hospital’s 18-year-old beds moved “more like dodgy shopping trolleys and less like modern, specialised beds designed to carry patients” causing him two separate injuries.
“Why are taxpayers paying Downer to manage our hospital if they can’t even replace faulty ward beds?” he said. “I love my job, but I do not love the working environment that Downer has created.”
Staff and union representatives described widespread bullying, intimidation and micro-management by Downer staff. Formal complaints are handled by Downer internally, with workers describing outcomes as dismissive and inadequate.
Health Services Union Assistant Secretary Lauren Hutchins told the committee that two thirds of HSU members managed by Downer have not reported a workplace issue due to fear of management retaliation.
Donna Stedman, a hospital assistant at Bloomfield Hospital in Orange, spoke of her experiences being bullied. “I was belittled, yelled at, accused of stealing, had my job threatened… my supervisor remained silent.”
“The culture of arse-covering within Downer is scary,” she said.
Dr Cohn said the evidence shared by the hospital staff and union assistant secretary raised serious alarm bells.
“The tragic and preventable death of toddler Joe Massa prompted the NSW government to bring the Northern Beaches Hospital back into public hands,” Dr Cohn said.
“This time, the government shouldn’t wait for a tragedy. The Greens are ready to support the Minns Labor government to walk the talk on privatisation and bring the Calvary Mater Hospital back into public hands, and the Orange, Bathurst and Bloomfield hospitals back into fully public management.”
The hearing coincides with Premier Chris Minns posting on Facebook today about Labor successfully bringing Northern Beaches Hospital back into public hands. He wrote: “When something isn’t working, you fix it… The community deserves certainty, accountability and world-class healthcare.”