Editor’s view: Minister must step in for patients’ sake

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath’s office was alerted months ago of issues at the PA Hospital Spinal Injuries Unit – and the slow response is exactly what is wrong with our health system and the bureaucrats in charge, writes the editor.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath’s office was alerted months ago of issues at the Princess Alexandra Hospital Spinal Injuries Unit – and the slow response is exactly what is wrong with our health system and the bureaucrats in charge.

Ms D’Ath’s office received a letter from respected medico and former Queenslander of the Year Dr Dinesh Palipana in February outlining concerns, including under-resourcing and a lack of optimal care for “Queenslanders in the most vulnerable time”.

Her office is yet to respond.

This is not your average letter from a constituent.

It had weight, and should have been treated accordingly.

Ms D’Ath, quite rightly, sought advice from Metro South Health regarding the situation.

But that advice has not yet been provided to her, and Ms D’Ath says that has prevented her from replying to Dr Palipana.

There are a few issues here.

Ms D’Ath should feel free to pick up the phone and talk to Dr Palipana directly – in fact, in his letter, he said he was very open to this and was at her disposal.

Not every response to every issue should be tied up in red tape.

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath. NewsWire / Sarah Marshall

But what chance does she have when the department takes two months to respond to a request for information, only for it to finally get its act together when the same allegations hit the headlines?

Ms D’Ath absolutely could have taken it upon herself to phone Dr Palipana and then fast-track the advice from her department.

But the department could equally have taken the allegations more seriously, and provided
Ms D’Ath’s office with a more timely response.

It took The Courier-Mail’s dogged reporting of the issue over the past few days – including revealing that patients were being left to lie in their own faeces – for action to happen.

Ms D’Ath stood up beside Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Monday to declare that she had asked her department for a briefing on the status of the unit.

“It doesn’t matter where the patients reside, I expect that people will be given the proper care that they deserve in our public hospitals,” Ms D’Ath said.

“I want to make sure that the staff that are working in this unit have the skill set and the
expertise to manage this unit properly,” she said.

Ms Palaszczuk said she was “very concerned” and that she was expecting the allegations to be fully investigated.

Dr Dinesh Palipana. Picture Glenn Hampson

This scenario feels like groundhog day – Ms D’Ath on the back foot, reacting to situations that have come to light after the people affected become so frustrated and disappointed with Queensland’s health system, they decide to go public.

The department certainly needs to do better – hospital bosses received a letter from a concerned mother outlining the horrific treatment of her paralysed son six years ago and seemingly, nothing was done.

But Ms D’Ath needs to be more proactive in her management of senior bureaucrats and her response to serious issues.

If Dr Palipana did not speak out – despite being a Queensland Health employee – this issue could have been even more prolonged.

His courage in this matter cannot be underestimated.

Ms D’Ath must now act quickly to ensure that vulnerable Queenslanders are given the dignity they deserve.

Originally published as Editor’s view: Minister must step in for patients’ sake