Dire state of Victoria’s health system revealed
From calling an ambulance, to arriving at hospital and later booking in surgery, our public health system is in a grim position.
Victoria
Don't miss out on the headlines from Victoria. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Victorians are waiting longer for elective surgery and in emergency departments at major hospitals, while an increasing number of triple-0 calls are taking longer to answer.
It comes amid revelations that an aged-care home resident in Melbourne’s north suffering cardiac arrest died after nursing home staff performing CPR waited several minutes for triple-0 call-takers to answer on Wednesday night.
The call was only answered when a second staff member asked for police rather than overwhelmed ambulance call takers.
Annual reports tabled in parliament on Thursday reveal the public health system – from the initial call for an ambulance, through to arriving at hospital and later booking in surgery – is fully stretched.
Call volumes meant emergency call-takers failed to meet their target of 90 per cent answered within five seconds, getting to 87.7 per cent.
The Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (ESTA) annual report shows the service received more than 2.8 million calls in the last financial year, an increase of more than 8 per cent over the past four years.
The survival rate of cardiac arrest patients fell, Ambulance Victoria’s annual report revealed. On the back of a record 6929 cardiac arrests last financial year, AV said the length of time it took to apply Covid-19 PPE had contributed to the increase in deaths, as that delayed starting resuscitation or defibrillation.
Almost a fifth of priority zero cases – the most critically ill patients – had to wait more than 13 minutes for an ambulance to arrive.
Once at hospital, reports show emergency departments struggling, with most hospitals unable to get about 40 per cent of patients from an ambulance stretcher onto a bed within the 40-minute target.
Covid restrictions postponed all but the most urgent operations for most of last year, contributing to at least a third of patients at most public hospitals waiting longer than clinically recommended for elective surgery.
The Royal Melbourne Hospital noted in its annual report due to Covid there was “significant increase in demand on our services as many Victorians delayed healthcare, resulting in a surge in demand for access to acute care”.
This increased demand saw several KPIs not met, including almost half of patients facing longer than recommended wait times for operations.
At St Vincent’s, more than 40 per cent of patients waited longer than the recommended time in the emergency department, while almost a third waited longer than advised for their elective surgery.
Western Health saw “unprecedented numbers” of mental health patients waiting longer than 24 hours in the emergency department, including 390 patients waiting longer than a day at Sunshine.
Ten per cent of urgent maternity patients did not get a specialist obstetric appointment within 30 days, shy of the 100 per cent target.
At Monash Heath, half of patients waited longer than recommended in emergency departments at Casey and Monash Medical Centre.
There were 135 patients who waited longer than 24 hours in emergency across the three Monash hospitals, while half of urgent patients could not get a specialist appointment within a month.
At Austin Health most patients waited more than four hours for treatment in the emergency department, and half waited in the ambulance bay for longer than the target 40 minutes.
A third of patients waited longer than four hours in emergency at The Alfred, while a third of urgent patients did not see a specialist within a month.
The annual reports reveal state government funding helped hospitals recover much of their pandemic-related financial losses.
TWO BABIES DIE AS VISITS REDUCED
Two babies in Victoria died after child protection services reduced face-to-face visits and services because of COVID-19 restrictions, a new report tabled in parliament has revealed.
The Commission for Children and Young People’s latest annual report revealed the high number of children who died, while known to child protection services in Victoria.
The commission said its inquiry into the two infant deaths showed child protection services “individually made the decision not to have direct contact without first consulting with other services involved with the child and their family”.
In both cases the Commission found that services individually made the decision not to have direct contact without first consulting with other services involved with the child and their family
The commission also found that reduced face-to-face contact meant that child protection was unable to adequately assess risks faced by children experiencing significant vulnerability.
“It also meant that the direct supports previously provided by multiple services ceased at a critical time,” the report stated.
In the deaths the commission reviewed, it found on average more than three reports had been made to child protection about each child, with 29 reports made about one of the children who died.
While the commission does not determine the exact cause of death, it listed the deaths in the following categories including nine deaths caused by accident and nine caused by illness.
One death was caused by non-accidental trauma, eight were caused by SIDS/SUDI, whole four deaths caused by suicide and 14 deaths still under review.
According to the report, 1006 mandatory notifications were received by the commission, which is up 8 per cent compared to the previous year.
Commissioner Liana Buchanan said children and young people in Victoria had shown remarkable grit this year, living through multiple lockdowns, disrupted education and separation from friends.
“But the pandemic has also made many children and young people already at risk of abuse and neglect even less visible to organisations and critical services,” she said.
The highest number of allegations received across all organisations related to physical violence this year.
For the first time however, the most common allegation type across all registered schools was sexual misconduct.
The proportion of sexual misconduct allegations in all sectors that are substantiated has increased, as has the proportion of substantiated allegations that involve sexual misconduct.
Ms Buchanan said: “As awareness in the community grows, thanks in part to the many survivors of abuse who have shared their experiences, we are seeing an increased focus on sexual misconduct in our schools.”
“The increase may well reflect a growing willingness among children and young people to speak out and for organisations to listen and act,” she said.
IBAC CALLS FOR MORE POWERS
Victoria’s anti-corruption watchdog has warned it needs stronger powers to do its job properly and more funding is needed to keep up its investigations.
The Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission has tabled its annual report after a year of major investigations into the misuse of taxpayer resources.
But the commission has warned it needs more support to keep probing corrupt behaviour across governments and agencies.
This includes stronger powers to stop investigations being tied up in the courts.
“To effectively fulfil our functions to expose and prevent corruption and misconduct, we also need to be supported by best-practice legislation,” the report reads.
“As it stands, elements of IBAC’s legislation cause investigations to be unnecessarily delayed or frustrated by lengthy litigation because we are unable to gain access to crucial evidence and information.
“Particularly with respect to claims of privilege, investigations can be impeded for inordinate periods as litigation in the Supreme Court is the only mechanism provided to resolve such claims, regardless of their merit.”
The commission also said it should be able to publish the recommendations that come after investigations more publicly, rather than waiting for special or annual reports.
Last year, the IBAC warned it was facing a funding shortfall for its activities and urged the Andrews government to contribute more cash.
It received a $20m boost but this was below what was requested and the commission maintains more money is needed.
“The majority of this (new money) was only awarded for one year, with additional funding provided for 2022/23 and 2023/24, as well as some ongoing funding,” the report states.
“Although this is a very welcome funding increase and a recognition of the important work IBAC does, it will be very challenging to manage a large funding increase for 2021/22 followed by funding reductions in the subsequent two years.
“ This will make long-term planning challenging, especially in relation to our workforce.”
In another report, Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass also said her office had not yet received the full funding she had asked for.
“My budget itself received a modest uplift this year, although not the full amount I had requested of the government,” she said.
“I am pleased I have received the Treasurer’s commitment to make up the shortfall, to allow me to do the job expected of me by parliament and the public.”
The Ombudsman received 2770 complaints about human rights in the last financial year.
“We continue to remind public officials of the sometimes unwelcome truth that human rights still matter,” Ms Glass said.
“Some themes never change, and instances of poor behaviour by public officials continued to be investigated and exposed.”
AXED GRAND PRIX COSTLY
Victorian taxpayers spent more than $16m on two major events that failed to make it to the starting grid.
The Andrews government poured more than $12.4m into this year’s stalled Melbourne Formula One Grand Prix and $3.8m on the cancelled 2020 Phillip Island MotoGP.
But annual reports revealed no licence fee was paid to F1 management for the Albert Park race, saving the public tens of millions of dollars more. The government investment in the F1 event was lower than the $39.7 million spent last year, when tickets had to be refunded.
TRIAL CATCHES OUT DRIVERS
A distracted driving technology trial found one in every 42 drivers were illegally using their mobile phone while driving.
A three month trial run by the Department of Justice last year assessed 679,438 vehicles.
The automated safety technology also found that one in 667 drivers observed were not wearing seatbelts.
“Work is now under way to implement this technology for enforcement by the end of 2022,” the department’s annual report said. “Research ... has estimated that this technology has the capacity to prevent 95 casualty crashes per year.”
CONFIDENCE IN COPS FALLS
The public’s confidence in Victoria Police has dramatically fallen due to its enforcement of Covid-19 restrictions.
Victoria Police’s 2020-21 annual report found just under 80 per cent of the community are confident in the integrity of the force. The figure is 8.2 per cent lower than the force’s target of 87 per cent community confidence.
It blamed “community interactions with police in relation to CHO directions” for the drop in public faith. The report revealed 119 public interest complaints about police members to corruption watchdog IBAC during the financial year.
TEACHING SUSPENSIONS
Almost 30 teachers had their registrations suspended in the past year, according to the Victorian Institute of Teaching’s annual report.
It also showed 243 allegations were made relating to teachers engaging in sexual offences, and misconduct and physical violence against, with, or in the presence of a child.
Police notified the teaching regulator 365 times to conduct investigations and 104 complaints were made about teachers being “seriously incompetent”, for serious misconduct and being unfit to be registered.
FROGS DIE AS KEEPERS OFF
Nine young frogs died at Melbourne Zoo because their specialist keepers were off work awaiting Covid test results.
An investigation into the deaths of nine of the zoo’s 24 juvenile crucifix frogs determined that the moisture level in the enclosure was likely lower than it needed to be.
Zoos Victoria’s 2020-21 annual report revealed specialist keepers, who had been furloughed while they awaited a coronavirus test, played a contributing factor in the deaths.
The zoo had bred the native species, which can be identified by its bright yellow skin and dark spots.
Why Mornington Peninsula homes could be a 2025 steal
Plunging prices and limited competition are making the Mornington Peninsula a buyer’s dream. Find out the suburbs offering luxury and affordability before the market heats up.
Arson attack destroys burger joint in Croydon North
Rocco’s Burger Cafe on Exeter Rd has been destroyed in an arson attack which also damaged an adjoining Post Office.