Coronavirus: Two in three aged-care staff lack PPE training

Just one in three aged care workers has done the federal government’s personal protection training module.

Of 366,000 aged-care workers in Australia, 117,919 had completed the PPE training module as at August 14. Picture: David Caird

Just one in three aged-care workers has done the federal government’s personal protection training module, despite the sector­ facing the highest death toll from the COVID-19 ­pandemic.

The numbers constitute a small increase since The Australian revealed in July that just one in five aged-care workers had completed the same training on the eve of the Victorian spike.

So far across Australia, 670 people have died in aged-care settings, with 633 of them in Victoria.

Department of Health secretary Brendan Murphy conceded on Tuesday when appear­ing before the Senate committee scrutinising the government’s response to COVID-19 that training could have been better.

“The Department of Health has acknowledged, including in the aged-care royal commission, that the sector is under general fin­ancial pressure, that there are instances of poor quality care and system leadership and inconsistencies in staff training and leadership,” he said.

Of 366,000 aged-care workers in Australia, 117,919 had completed the PPE training module as at August 14, according to Department of Health information provided to the parliamentary committee.

Department of Health secretary Brendan Murphy. Picture: Gary Ramage

This was a lift on the 66,000 aged-care workers or 20 per cent of the workforce that had completed the government’s PPE training course as at June 4.

As part of the $101.2m the government gave in March to limit the spread of the virus in aged-care facilities, $44,000 was spent on developing a free online program that included educating workers in infection control.

By comparison, nearly $2m went to developing the COVIDSafe app, while up to $64m is understood to have been spent on promoting the health campaign.

Opposition aged-care spokeswoman Julie Collins said there had been multiple reports about staff lacking appropriate training in how to use PPE in aged care, which had contributed to issues at Victorian aged-care facilities.

“This should have prompted action from the Morrison government but now it turns out weeks into the Victorian outbreak of COVID-19 (that) still only one in three workers had done training in how to use PPE,” she said.

“How could so little be done to ensure all aged-care workers had undertaken appropriate training in how to use PPE and in infection control?

“The Morrison government must urgently ensure all aged-care workers have undertaken appropriate training.”

Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck said Australia’s aged-care workforce had shown extraordinary resolve in combating the spread of COVID-19.

On Wednesday, the government announced it would extend testing and bolster the supply of PPE throughout residential aged-care facilities across Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire to help further suppress infection rates.