Coronavirus: Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet ’to have no role’ in aged care crisis

Prime Minister and Cabinet has not been asked to assist with the aged care crisis as the AHPPC defends its advice to the sector.

Prime Minister and Cabinet Secretary Phil Gaetjens is grilled by the Senate inquiry scrutinising the government’s coronavirus pandemic response. Picture: Gary Ramage

The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet has not been asked to assist Scott Morrison with the aged care crisis despite a surge in cases across Victoria as the principal health body instructing national cabinet defended its advice to the sector.

Philip Gaetjens told the Senate inquiry scrutinising the government’s response to the coronavirus the Prime Minister had raised issues about the aged-care watchdog with the health department on Tuesday but had not asked for any action from his department.

Mr Gaetjens on Tuesday said he was not notified that the aged care watchdog had amended its evidence regarding the first reported infection at St Basil’s nursing home and first learned of the change in media reports on Tuesday.

Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner Janet Anderson was forced to write to the same inquiry on Friday, revealing that the independent regulator was made aware on July 10, not July 14, that a St Basil’s employee had tested positive on July 8.

It wasn’t until July 15 that the federal government rolled-out widespread testing at the facility.

Mr Gaetjens defended his department when grilled by Labor Senator Katy Gallagher on Tuesday, declaring that it had “no role” in the response to the aged care coronavirus crisis.

“It’s an issue between the regulator, the health department and the sector,” he said.

He confirmed that he had not been asked to specifically assist with the aged care response and said he first became aware of Ms Anderson’s blunder “from reporting this morning.”

It came as Acting Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly dismissed allegations that the federal government didn’t have a COVID-19 plan for aged care on Tuesday.

“That is not correct. We have been planning for our aged population as a vulnerable group since the beginning of our planning in relation to COVID-19,” he said.

Asked specifically about aged care royal commission testimony that said the AHPPC had failed to update advice for aged care operators, between June 19 and August 3, despite cases soaring across Victoria, the body said it had communicated its advice on “many occasions.”

“In addition to the published AHPPC advice, the Department works closely with the aged care sector and providers to provide support and advice in response to COVID-19,” a spokeswoman said.

Outside the Senate inquiry Senator Gallagher called out the government’s response to aged care outbreaks, saying it hadn’t gone far enough.

“More than 20 people in that facility (St Basil’s) have died and there’s more than 170 cases linked to it and that’s a failure,” she said. “It’s a failure of the Commonwealth. The regulator seems to have played a part but there may be others and the Commonwealth needs to stand up and take responsibility for it.”

Opposition aged care spokeswoman Julie Collins has slammed the four-day delay it took for federal authorities to be notified of the St Basil’s outbreak as a catastrophe.

“Time and time again the Morrison Government has been warned about information sharing failures between its regulator and the Department of Health but has not acted,” she said.

“We are now seeing the tragic and avoidable consequences of not properly heeding these warnings.”