Following repeated calls by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) ACT and the Canberra Liberals, the ACT Government has today agreed to launch an independent inquiry into the Dhulwa Mental Health Unit.
In a media statement today, the ACT Government said the inquiry would review Dhulwa’s “legislative, clinical and governance frameworks to ensure the facility operates under best practice in a safe environment for all workers and patients”.
ACT Minister for Mental Health Emma Davidson said the inquiry will be independently chaired with strong legal and governance expertise to ensure best clinical practice and worker safety at Dhulwa.
The inquiry will address the immediate issues that have recently been raised at Dhulwa and ensure clinicians, consumers, staff and the ANMF ACT are involved throughout the process, the Minister said.
“Our nurses should feel safe, supported and confident at work so they can deliver the best possible care across our health system. Following the recent incidents at Dhulwa, it is clear more must be done to ensure nurses feel safe,” she said.
“Staff and the ANMF have asked for the inquiry to be conducted quickly and with clear and focused terms of reference, so nurses are heard, and findings are operationalised in a timely manner that supports a safer workplace culture.”
Shadow Minister for Health, Mental Health and Wellbeing Leanne Castley welcomed the announcement but hit out at the Mental Health Minister for dragging her feet on the issue.
“Nurses have been crying out for help following a number of assaults at the facility but have continually been ignored by the minister,” Ms Castley said.
“It should not take a WorkSafe notice and repeated calls from our nurses and the Canberra Liberals for the Labor-Greens Government to finally act and launch an inquiry.
“There have been over 100 assaults at the facility in recent months and it is staggering it took so long for the Minister to do her job and protect our hard-working nurses at Dhulwa.”
Ms Castley said she will be looking very closely at the terms of reference and will ensure any inquiry looks to rectify the problems at the facility as quickly as possible.
“My immediate concern is the safety of nurses working at Dhulwa today. What is the Minister doing to protect our nurses now, to ensure there will be no more attacks and they can go to work not fearing an assault,” she said.
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Ms Davidson said the government is now finalising the terms of reference with the ANMF and Canberra Health Services and selecting an independent chair for the inquiry. “The pathway forward to establish the inquiry, conduct it, and operationalise the findings will involve staff input so we can achieve the best outcomes for their workplace culture and safety.”
The inquiry will call for submissions, hold hearings as needed, and ensure the Chair has unfettered access to any information and staff as required, Ms Davidson said. The inquiry will also be informed by recommendations from the WorkSafe ACT review, Human Rights Commission review and an independent clinical mental health review, as key inputs.
ANMF ACT Branch Secretary Matthew Daniel welcomed the commitment of the Government which responds to ANMF member concerns.
“The establishment of the independent inquiry demonstrates that the Government is serious about listening to nurses and acting to keep them safe,” Mr Daniel said.
Canberra Health Services CEO, Dave Peffer said CHS welcomed the inquiry, “which will provide valuable opportunities to learn from external experts as we seek to improve workplace safety and team member wellbeing”.
“We are committed to doing everything we can to keep our team members safe while providing exceptional care for the patients at Dhulwa, and look forward to collaborating with all relevant stakeholders during the inquiry process,” Mr Peffer said.
