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 Home News Aged Care
No appeals process for staff in aged care that raise complaints15 May 2007The government has recently replaced the complaints system in aged care with a new complaints investigation scheme but staff and health professionals that raise quality of care issues are not given access to an appeals process in the new scheme. The HSU has been supportive of a change to the current system and the introduction of the investigation of complaints. However, though the new system does introduce investigation, the union has very significant concerns about it. HSU National Secretary, Craig Thomson, said, "The government has failed to provide an effective complaints mechanism for staff, health professionals and others in residential aged care." "Staff and health professionals are often in a very good position to identify quality of care issues and should have access to the full complaints investigation system, including the opportunity to appeal decisions." Mr Thomson said. Residents, their representatives and providers can access an appeals process, but the process lacks independence. If a resident appeals a decision of the Secretary, the Aged Care Commissioner examines the issue and gives advice to the Secretary on the matter. The Secretary can chose not to follow that advice. "This system lacks an independent appeals process available to all complainants, which is just not good enough." Mr Thomson said. The union earlier provided comments to the Department on a draft of this system in which it outlined these concerns. The lack of independence of the system is also reflected in the government's appointment of a person who was recently on the board of the Accreditation Agency to the role of Aged Care Commissioner. As part of that role is to investigate complaints about the Agency, it is an inappropriate appointment. The union is also concerned that there are limited circumstances in which this system dictates that confidentiality can not be maintained, but the information available to potential complainants does not make this clear. "We are concerned that a person who makes a complaint may have an expectation that certain information will be kept confidential, but then find it is not. The circumstances in which confidentiality are not able to be maintained needs to be clear to people using the system." Mr Thomson said. The situation is further exacerbated by the government's recent failure to provide whistleblower protection for staff and others than report abuse, other than reportable physical and sexual abuse. |
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© 2003 Health Services Union (HSU) |
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