Another day, another drama.
That seems to be the “norm” at the under-siege Calvary Mater Newcastle following reports of whistleblowers alleging “cover-ups” and “intimidation” at the Waratah hospital.
It’s been claimed, by the Health Services Union (HSU), serious risks were downplayed or concealed, while workers who flagged concerns were threatened or pushed out of their roles.
In its submission to the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into management, maintenance and operational issues at the Calvary Mater, the HSU included staff accounts of a “sweep it under the rug” culture as part of the contract, which the Novacare consortium is responsible for.
It comes after years of failures under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model, according to the union.
“Staff have been reporting issues with the hospital maintenance going back almost a decade,” secretary Gerard Hayes said.
“They’ve revealed they were pressured to water down findings of failings… and that some quality and performance reports were altered to downplay the seriousness of safety risks.
“Our members allege they faced intimidation and harassment, including being threatened with the loss of their job if they escalated concerns.
“It’s disturbing behaviour from a contractor that puts profit over people, creating unsafe conditions for staff and patients.
“HSU members are working at full capacity at Calvary Mater.
“They simply want to come to work and deliver the best and safest services possible to the community.
“But, the current environment is preventing them from doing that.”
Serious matters have been well-reported at the hospital, too, ranging from mould to maggots.
HSU’s submission highlights rectification of the potable water issue at Calvary Mater was delayed on cost grounds, with SafeWork and the Health Minister eventually stepping in to take over control of critical repair works.
“Public Private Partnerships put staff and the public at risk and undermine trust,” Mr Hayes said.
“By allowing companies to make a profit from our health facilities, everyone except those companies loses.”
The HSU has used its submission to urge the state government to launch an independent investigation into the alleged bullying, harassment and reported retaliation by Honeywell (part of the Novarcare consortium and responsible for “hard facilities management”) and Novacare management.
“We’d also like the maintenance – and rectification – works claimed by Novacare to be independently audited and to fully assess the building’s conditions, as well as creating a safe and accessible escalation pathway for healthcare workers to report unsafe conditions without compromising their jobs,” Mr Hayes added.
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