SA Health corruption fears revealed, ICAC plans report to the department by year’s end
A leaked email has revealed the six areas of SA Health where the ICAC Commissioner believes there is likely corruption or maladministration.
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Pay rorting and conflicts of interest in procurement are at the centre of SA Health fears held by the state’s anti-corruption watchdog, which will deliver a report by December.
Advertiser.com.au has obtained an all-staff email sent today by SA Health chief executive Chris McGowan, which also includes a link to a letter from Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Bruce Lander.
Mr Lander in a press conference a fortnight ago raised general concerns about corruption in SA Health, but said he lacked the money for an inquiry.
In his email to staff, Dr McGowan says he had “since held further conversations with the Commissioner on these matters and he has recently sent a letter outlining his concerns”.
That letter, from Mr Lander to Dr McGowan, outlines six key areas of concern.
They are:
EMPLOYMENT of medical officers and whether there are systems in place to ensure that such employees are properly accountable for their time, and that the department is actually receiving the services it is paying for under contracts of employment.
ARRANGEMENTS relating to regulation and administration of rights of private practice, and what costs deficiencies in those arrangements might impose on the public health system.
CONFLICTS of interest held by employees of the department and in particular those who have the ability to make decisions about allocation of public resources, including conflicts of interests in procurement and those arising in research activities.
WHETHER there is sufficient record keeping in place in the department and local health networks and whether significant decisions or instructions are appropriately documented and an accountable evidence trail created.
MANAGEMENT of clinicians.
CULTURAL issues.
Mr Lander writes that he’s decided to make a report about the issues by December this year.
“In that report I intend to set out my concerns and the risks of maladministration, misconduct and corruption in the Department and the Local Health Network I have identified in further detail,” Mr Lander writes.
“I consider it important to place these matters on the public record.
“What further action if any is taken in relation to them is of course a matter for others.”
In the staff email, Dr McGowan says the department must impose the highest standards.
“As public servants, our behaviour should be an exemplar for the best professional behaviour in our society,” he writes.
“It’s my expectation that SA Health employees are seen by their colleagues and the community in this way.
“It is therefore incumbent on us all to demonstrate the highest standard of behaviour — whether that is professional, financial or interpersonal — with a high level of integrity.
“I believe we each have a responsibility to not only meet the requirements set out the SA Government’s code of ethics, but to work to exceed expectations and be vigilant and responsive when we see actions that give cause for concern.
“As always, if you have any concerns regarding this type of behaviour, I fully encourage you to either contact me directly, the SA Health Hotline or The Office of Public Integrity directly.”
MORE TO COME