Colbeck brushes off claims he failed Jeta Gardens residents

Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck has dodged claims his office failed to protect residents at a nursing home at the centre of one of Queensland's deadliest Covid outbreaks.

Aged Care Minister Senator Richard Colbeck has brushed aside claims that his office failed to act to protect residents at an aged care facility at the centre of one of Queensland’s deadliest Covid outbreaks.

Senator Colbeck was given a grilling again in Question Time today after being accused of failing to act at Jeta Gardens, a southside nursing home where 15 elderly died.

Queensland Senator Murray Watt fired the attack in the Senate calling the government’s response at Jeta Gardens “a total cop out” and declaring the aged care sector was in crisis.

Senator Murray Watt launched an attack on Aged Care Minister Senator Richard Colbeck.

Senator Watt said no action was taken at the centre despite two warnings from the regulator, The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.

“The belief that issuing a non-compliance notice is taking action has cost people their lives,” Senator Watt said.

“The minister claims that Jeta Gardens was brought back to compliance, but yesterday reports emerged that chronic staff shortages at Jeta Gardens forced 90-year-old residents to care for each other, families were lied to about vaccinations and not informed their loved ones had COVID until they were dying and staff were asked to only change masks if they needed to due to mask shortages.

“How could the minister fail Jeta Gardens residents so badly when he was twice warned their safety was at risk?”

Residents at Jeta Gardens where 15 people have died from Covid. Senator Murray Watt launched an attack on Aged Care Minister Senator Richard Colbeck

Senator Colbeck brushed off the accusations saying he did not want to play “word bingo”.

However, he admitted the Covid pandemic had plunged the aged care sector into crisis but said the government had acted properly through the regulator, issuing notices to Jeta Gardens, working with staff and revisiting the centre.

“We are working on assisting the sector to work through the pandemic, providing them with the resources, whether it’s surge workforce, whether it’s PPE, whether it’s rapid antigen tests, all of those things,” he said.

The nursing home said it had had no Covid-19 outbreaks for six days and revealed it had appointed consultant gerontologist, Dr Drew Dwyer to oversee clinical governance, best practice infection prevention and control.

Staff at Jeta Gardens where 15 people have died of Covid. PHOTO: Annette Dew

Staff at the centre, where there have been complaints that the complex ran out of protective masks and face shields on Monday, has also hired an expert training adviser from a Health Generation.

Management was forced to appoint the team of advisers after the federal government instigated regulatory action.

A spokesman for the Bethania aged care centre said the team would meet daily with representatives from the federal health, the Public Health Unit, and the Aged Care Quality

Residents will also be tested three times a week until 28 days have passed since the last new positive case on January 29.