ICAC Ann Vanstone rebukes SA Ambulance Service boss for using her name to control staff

In a rare intervention, the state’s anti-corruption watchdog has rebuked the head of the SA Ambulance Service for using her name to control staff.

Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Ann Vanstone QC has criticised SA Ambulance boss David Place’s comments.

The state’s anti-corruption watchdog has criticised the head of the SA Ambulance Service as “unhelpful” for trying to use her name to control staff who speak out about the ongoing ramping crisis.

The statement came after SA Ambulance Service boss David Place alluded to possible action by the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption against staff who make public statements without permission.

In a rare public rebuke, Commissioner Ann Vanstone QC said his comments were “unhelpful” – and put other senior public servants on notice.

“Although it is true to say that public officers should abide by the code of conduct applicable to their employment, it is unhelpful for senior public officers to invoke the name of ICAC in an attempt to control the behaviour of their staff,” she said.

Mr Place originally came under fire for sending an email to his staff on Tuesday afternoon, saying ambulance officers were not allowed to make comments to the media without permission, otherwise they could be guilty of “misconduct”.

Two paramedics in as many days have spoken publicly about critical understaffing, ambulance delays and ramping.

Ramping at the Royal Adelaide Hospital at 8pm on Monday, February 22, 2021. Picture: AEA SA

“It is timely to issue a general reminder that as public sector employees, we are all required to comply with the Code of Ethics for the South Australian Public Sector …” Mr Place said in the email.

The code bans public sector employees from making public comments unless “specifically authorised to do so”.

Mr Place then, on Wednesday morning, referred to the ICAC in an interview with ABC Radio Adelaide.

“The ICAC has made it pretty clear that public sector employees need to adhere to that code,” he said.

“Once they breach that code, I can’t necessarily protect them.”

His comments drew the ire of Ms Vanstone, who said it was “highly unlikely” she would ever get involved in matters of public servants speaking out about working conditions and possible operational failures.

“My focus is on identifying and investigating corruption in public administration,” she said.

Mr Place insisted his main concerns were about breaches of patient confidentiality after one regional ambulance crew posted on social media and released specific details about a patient’s condition.

“In that particular country town I don’t think it would be hard to work out exactly who the patient was,” Mr Place said.

All metro hospitals are over capacity. At 8pm tonight there were 15 ambulances on the ramp at the RAH. Both our hospitals and ambulance service cannot cope. Ramping worsens an already under-resourced ambulance service. Your community is unsafe and lives are at risk. #stoprampinghttps://t.co/JR1fh2Lj2Rpic.twitter.com/bnL55WgXFr

— Ambulance Employees Association (SA) (@aeasa1981) February 22, 2021

Ms Vanstone said reports made to the Office for Public Integrity about unauthorised disclosures of information would likely be referred back to the agency from which it came.

“I would only become involved in very limited circumstances where a disclosure had the potential to cause very serious harm.”

Mr Place denied suggestions he tried to “gag” his staff by sending the email and referring to ICAC.

“It was not a threat or any attempt to gag our staff from talking,” he said.

“It was a reminder of the public sector code of conduct, which they all signed up to.”

The Ambulance Employees’ Association (AEA) released an impassioned open letter in the Sunday Mail that called for more staff to deal with “ever-increasing demand” for ambulances.

Health Minister Stephen Wade previously accused the AEA of “stalling” enterprise bargaining negotiations.

Mr Place agreed the ambulance service was underfunded and needed a more efficient model.

“We definitely need a budget increase,” he said.

“We have had some budget increases in recent times, but we’ve got a workload that is continually growing.

“We are working with the minister, he acknowledges that we need more resources and we are working through a process to see if we can achieve that … and roster reform.

“We are using a 1990s ambulance service delivery model to try to solve a 2021 problem.”

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