Oakden nursing home whistleblower says he shut out by minister

AN Oakden whistleblower who offered to work with the State Government and drive change says he is losing confidence and fears ministers are only dealing in “damage control” to limit political pain of embarrassing headlines.

• Key bureaucrat wasn’t aware of problems at Oakden
• Minister: I bumped into mental health chief at Bunnings
• Daughter seeks truth on how her dad died
• Oakden scandal staff still working in health system

A PROMINENT Oakden whistleblower who offered to work with the State Government and drive change says he is losing confidence in its commitment to real reform and fears ministers are only dealing in “damage control” to limit the political pain of embarrassing headlines.

Stewart Johnston went public last month after the release of Chief Psychiatrist Aaron Groves’ scathing report, to detail abuse against his mother Helen at the site in 2008.

He was one of several relatives of Oakden residents who met with Premier Jay Weatherill, and emerged offering the Government the benefit of the doubt amid its pledge of major change.

Oakden whistleblower Stewart Johnston’s mother Helen was allegedly abused at the Oakden mental health facility, he says. Picture: Stephen Laffer

Mr Johnston on Sunday told The Advertiser he had since been shut out by Mental Health and Substance Abuse Minister Leesa Vlahos, and was alarmed by revelations that staff continued to work in the state system despite serious concerns about their performance at Oakden.

“I’ve had a complete shutdown of communication from the minister’s office and I was promised the opposite when I met her nearly four weeks ago. I’ve heard nothing,” Mr Johnston said.

“This erodes the confidence that we are trying to rebuild in the community, that we are going to get answers and it is going to be open and accountable.

“I can’t believe that they have put these people back. As far as I’m concerned, it’s just been damage control.

“Unless they are responding or retaliating to a headline in the newspaper, that’s as far as it goes.”

Mr Johnston said he was now rethinking the support he offered for Ms Vlahos.

“I don’t withdraw support lightly, but I have one foot off the cliff with her,” he said.

It comes after two families of other Oakden residents at the weekend said they were “shocked and disgusted” by revelations a senior SA Health bureaucrat was kept in the dark about concerns Principal Community Visitor Maurice Corcoran raised in June last year.

Lorraine Baff’s husband Jim is an Oakden resident and she raised the concerns in 2014 which led federal Labor MP Tonzy Zappia to write to Health Minister Jack Snelling with a warning that low staffing levels meant there was risk of “a severe injury or death at the facility”.

Ms Baff said Ms Vlahos appeared “naive”, “just relies on what people are telling her” and that ministers seemed unable to drive change in a department with a record of cover-up.

“I don’t think she (Ms Vlahos) is asking the right questions and being forceful,” Ms Baff said.

A spokesman for Ms Vlahos said: “Given what the families of Oakden residents have endured, it is unsurprising they are aggrieved with the State Government”.

“Health SA is progressing disciplinary action against a number of Oakden staff in accordance with its human resources policies and as quickly as it possibly can,” the spokesman said.

The Government has set up a hotline for families of Oakden residents to raise concerns, and has a separate reporting line for elder abuse.

Ms Vlahos has also written to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency asking them to speed up inquiries into 21 Oakden staff.

Mr Weatherill has also designated a senior staffer as a point of contact for Oakden families.