SafeWork SA clear Royal Adelaide Hospital after issuing Improvement Notice

SafeWork SA inspectors have determined whether the RAH has fixed staff issues after an inspection last month allegedly found multiple contraventions of health and safety laws.

SafeWork SA inspectors say the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) has complied with the Improvement Notice issued to its embattled emergency department last month – aimed at improving staff working conditions.

The Improvement Notice, which was issued on Tuesday June 18, required the RAH to review and where necessary revise procedures after its inspectors found work health and safety laws being violated – due to an escalation of demand without adequate measures to minimise risks to workers’ psychological health and safety.

The SafeWork inspection found multiple alleged contraventions of health and safety laws with its report saying the emergency department was “continuously blocked with admitted patients, giving rise to ramping on the ambulance ramp and in the waiting room.”

A spokesperson from SafeWork SA said inspectors were now satisfied the recommendations had been complied with and it had issued a subsequent Improvement Notice to “further assist the hospital in improving its work health and safety management systems”.

“No expiation notices have been issued,” they said.

“It is not uncommon for a subsequent Improvement Notice to be issued after reviewing the evidence so as to help a business fulfil its obligations to its employees.”

The acting chief executive of the Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN), Kathryn Zeitz, said they had taken action to implement processes that would “create capacity and manage demand to help ease pressure” in the emergency department.

“This includes maximising out of hospital options for patients and using private capacity,” she said.

“We’ve added an extra security team in the Royal Adelaide Hospital emergency department, brought in more mental health staff to support patients in distress and have more duress alarms available should staff want them.

“We have a clear process for managing demand escalation and our core focus is to ensure the safety of our people and patients.”

Ms Zeitz said CALHN had already started working through the new SafeWork SA Improvement Notice. The RAH has until August 9 to comply with the new notice.