Oakden whistleblower Stewart Johnston quits CCTV trial with furious spray at bureaucracy

One of the men who helped expose a shocking aged care scandal has sensationally quit a panel charged with establishing camera trials to protect patients. And he had plenty to say about why.

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Oakden whistleblower Stewart Johnston has sensationally quit a committee looking into trialling CCTV in nursing homes, delivering a parting shot at the public sector’s inefficiency and red tape.

Mr Johnston today advised Health Minister Stephen Wade of the decision and let fly at bureaucrats on social media and in a media conference, where he made multiple accusations against senior staff.

Stewart Johnston, son of an Oakden victim. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

He likened meetings to a cross between TV parodies Utopia and Yes Minister, where nothing was achieved, citing meetings where risk assessments on risk assessments were discussed and members were given “homework” about what to name the trial — which ended up not having a name.

“We’ve achieved nothing — the bureaucracy is out of control and aged-care residents remain at risk” he said.

The trial that started in April is running behind schedule. Four of five aged-care homes have trialled CCTV and Mr Johnston says staff and families are “crying out” for it to be introduced.

The pilot program was set up in the wake of the Oakden scandal and also after Adelaide woman Noleen Hausler secretly installed a tiny video-camera in her father’s aged-care home that revealed a carer bashing him.

Among the allegations, Mr Johnston claimed there were people within the public sector with “vested interests”, whom he declined to name, who were trying to sabotage the trial.

Mr Wade said: “We are absolutely committed to providing the right protections for people in aged care and the Marshall Liberal Government’s support for a pilot CCTV surveillance program remains resolute.”