WorkSafe ACT ‘responding’ to Dhulwa Mental Health Unit complaints

WorkSafe ACT has confirmed it has received complaints about the Dhulwa Mental Health Unit as calls for the ACT Government to launch an inquiry into the centre grow.

WorkSafe ACT has confirmed it has received complaints about the Dhulwa Mental Health Unit as calls for the ACT Government to launch an inquiry into the centre grow.

A statement from the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation’s ACT Branch said an improvement notice and a prohibition notice had been issued to the mental health facility.

A WorkSafe ACT spokesman would not confirm if those notices had been issued, however said the regulator had “received complaints about Dhulwa Mental Health Unit and is responding to these complaints in the same manner as it responds to all complaints”.

“Appropriate inquiries are being undertaken by the inspectorate and we will make no further comment on this matter,” the spokesman said.

WorkSafe ACT has confirmed it is responding to complaints about the Dhulwa Mental Health Unit.

However Canberra Health Services CEO Cathie O’Neil confirmed, in a statement, that WorkSafe ACT had issued an improvement notice and a prohibition notice to Dhulwa.

“Canberra Health Services CHS is working constructively with WorkSafe ACT to ensure that it continues to take every step possible to support our team members at Dhulwa to prevent and manage occupational violence. Occupational violence is never acceptable,” Ms O’Neil said.

“This includes undertaking to comply with all WorkSafe ACT recommendations and requirements, and co-operating fully with WorkSafe ACT inspectors.

“Where additional controls can be added to operational procedures to further minimise the risk of occupational violence, CHS will introduce such controls.

“We’d like to acknowledge the exceptional work team members in our mental health units do every day to support vulnerable members of our community.”

Ms O’Neil said the “safety of team members is CHS’s highest priority”.

“Dhulwa is a secure mental health facility, it accommodates consumers with very complex needs who may present a risk to public safety and cannot be accommodated elsewhere in the Territory,” she said.

“Patients’ physical and mental health issues can fluctuate, which for some leads to unsettled and aggressive behaviours for a period of time.

“At times these consumers can also present safety challenges to both team members and other consumers.

“We are committed to providing exceptional care for the vulnerable Canberrans who require this service while always striving to keep our team members safe.”

Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation ACT Branch Secretary Matthew Daniel said the union welcomed the intervention by WorkSafe ACT but was “disappointed in the ACT Government for not addressing the concerns of nurses sooner”.

“These are damaging findings by the safety regulator and (Minister Emma Davidson) and those responsible for the management of Dhulwa must not escape scrutiny,” Mr Daniel said.

“Significant questions about accountability remain and nurses deserve an explanation as to why they have been blamed for occupational violence for so long when, in fact, it has been found that the Government has failed to keep Dhulwa workers safe.

“The ANMF continues to call for an urgent inquiry by the ACT Government into the operations of Dhulwa.”

The mental health unit caters to patients with complex psychiatric needs who have been involved with, or who are at risk of being involved with, the justice system.

Liberal MLA Leanne Castley calls for an urgent inquiry into the Dhulwa Mental Health Unit. Picture; Julia Kanapathipillai

On Tuesday Liberal MLA Leanne Castley told the Canberra Star: “Canberra’s nurses deserve better”.

“Nurses are pleading with the government to keep them safe yet (Mental Health Minister Emma Davidson) has turned her back on them,” she said.

“This is a grave situation the ACT Labor-Greens government can no longer ignore.

“How many more nurses will be attacked before Minister Davidson conducts an urgent inquiry into the violence and staff safety at Dhulwa?”

Earlier this month Ms Castley called on the ACT Government to launch an urgent inquiry into the centre.

“An inquiry is urgently needed particularly as there has been no independent inquiry into Dhulwa since it opened in July 2017,” Ms Castley said.

“What will it take for Minister Davidson to do her job and act?”

Ms Davidson said more needed to be done, but said the issues facing workers at Dhulwa could not be solved overnight.

“The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation have raised deeply concerning reports and issues over the past few months and I want to reassure that Canberra Health Services will deliver more initiatives that ensure nurses feel safe and proud to go to work each day,” she said.

“The ACT Government has delivered a number of initiatives to improve workplace safety across all six mental health units in the ACT, which has seen a general decline in occupational violence over the past few years.

“It is not something that can be solved overnight as we need to balance the needs of people in our mental health facilities and the needs of our essential nurses.

“We know more needs to be done though.

“I look forward to discussing what kind of review is needed to create safer workplaces including what issues need to be explored and how it could be conducted with the ANMF in coming weeks.”