Australian Medical Association says no ’smoking gun’ of systemic corruption at SA Health, unlike Oakden report

There’s no “smoking gun” of systemic corruption at SA Health and a long-running independent inquiry may hurt the workforce more, says the Australian Medical Association.

• Bombshell ICAC report into SA Health
• Analysis: Only a Royal Commission will fix this

The Australian Medical Association has dismissed the need for an independent inquiry into SA Health as heated fallout continues over the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption’s report into SA Health and the government’s response.

AMA SA president Dr Chris Moy said concerns raised in the report were already well known and unlike the Oakden report there was no “smoking gun” of systemic corruption.

He said yet another long running, expensive inquiry may “fracture the morale of the frontline health workforce that has such a critical job in our community.

“The focus must be on positive change to fix the known serious problems in the health

system,” he said.

“The health system needs real change … but if we keep on looking for and fixing the old potholes, we may fail to carry out the much-needed resurfacing of the road.”

AMA SA president Dr Chris Moy: “The focus must be on positive change.”

Premier Steven Marshall: “I genuinely don’t think we need an independent inquiry.”

Premier Steven Marshall said there were no new issues in the ICAC report and concerns were already being addressed, adding: “I genuinely don’t think we need an independent inquiry.”

However, SA Best’s Connie Bonaros stepped up her call for a Royal Commission while

Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas called for more funding for ICAC to investigate SA Health.

He blasted Mr Marshall and Health Minister Stephen Wade for responding to the report before they had read it and condemned their plan for a cross-agency public service task force to clean up SA Health.

The taskforce, with terms of reference and membership still to be announced, is due to report by the end of the month and members will include SA Health chief executive Dr Chris McGowan — who is under investigation for a possible conflict of interest.

Mr Malinauskas said: “The commissioner in his report makes it clear the action of senior clinicians and senior bureaucrats need to be called into question yet the government has only announced an interagency task force which may well contain on it senior bureaucrats and clinicians.”