Coronavirus: Brett Sutton was blocked from leading response, inquiry told

Brett Sutton, as Victoria’s top public health official, wanted to lead the pandemic response but was rejected by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton. Picture: AAP

Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy offered Australian Defence Force troops to his Victorian counterpart, Brett Sutton, to be used in the state’s bungled hotel quarantine program instead of security guards, an ­inquiry has heard.

The probe into the ­fiasco heard Professor Sutton, as Victoria’s top public health official, wanted to lead the state’s response to the pandemic but was denied by the Department of Health and Human Services.

In the statement of DHHS deputy secretary Melissa Skilbeck, she said she discussed ­“alternative options” for private security in the hotel quarantine program — which included expanding the role of the ADF — in a phone call with DHHS secretary Kym Peake on June 23.

“Ultimately, the Victorian government made the decision to utilise Corrections Victoria personnel, supported by Victoria Police, in delivery of security functions for hotel quarantine operations,” she said.

When counsel assisting Ben Ihle asked if she was aware that a few days before June 23, CMO Brendan Murphy had offered ADF assistance “in lieu of private security guards” to Victoria’s chief and deputy health officers, she said: “I don’t believe I was.”

On June 24, Emergency Management Victoria commissioner Andrew Crisp requested 850 troops, before rescinding the request the next day.

Whether or not ADF support was offered to Victoria to assist with hotel quarantine has become a volatile political issue as the state battles a devastating coronavirus second wave linked to infection control breaches at the bungled program.

On Thursday, Ms Skilbeck said she decided not to appoint Professor Sutton as state health controller overseeing the response to the pandemic against his wishes.

“My view then, and quite frankly my view now, is that the overwhelming role that we needed for an effective response from the emergency management framework was one of co-ordination of logistics and other assistance,” she said.

When Mr Ihle asked Ms Skilbeck if Professor Sutton was against the decision to appoint someone other than him, she said: “Yes, he was.”

The inquiry was shown a review into the apparent suicide of a hotel quarantine guest in April that found at least five phone calls to him went unanswered before his body was found.

“Due to a lack of formal system for documenting these unanswered calls, the review team could not be certain if there were more unanswered calls,” the Safer Care Victoria review said.

“There was a delay of more than 24 hours from the time (redacted) last answered a COVID-19 assessment symptom screening call (approximately 16.00 on 10/04/2020, as per police witness statement) to when the AO, nurse and ­security guard forced entry to his room at approximately 17.30 on 11/04/2020.”

The inquiry heard travel agency Helloworld assisted in making welfare check calls.

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