The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) has protested Canberra Health Services outsourcing staff and services for the Fetal and Maternal Medicine Unit at Canberra Hospital.
CHS has requested private providers to supply one maternal foetal medicine specialist and / or an obstetric and gynaecological ultrasound specialist; three sonographers; ultrasound services and reports; and training services.
The Fetal Medicine Unit (FMU) cares for women and families with complex or high-risk pregnancies who need specialised care for either themselves or their baby.
The Canberra Liberals state that the ACT Government has not been able to fill positions it has advertised since June.
“Canberra Health Services have dropped the ball and failed to consult with us in any way,” the CPSU wrote on Twitter this afternoon. “They should immediately halt the tender process and work to find a real solution that will see this vital service continue to be delivered by the public health system.
“Outsourcing Canberra’s Fetal Medicine Unit is not an appropriate solution to a workforce shortage, and making the problem someone else’s won’t fix it.”
Canberra Liberals MLA Leanne Castley, shadow minister for health, said the Government’s decision to approach the private sector for these services was an abject admission that it had failed to provide an adequate public Fetal Medical Unit.
“It is astounding that [health minister Rachel Stephen-Smith] would look to plug gaps in this unit by outsourcing a solution rather than work with employees who are still with CHS,” Ms Castley said.
“The fact that the Minister did not consult with the CPSU and tried to rush this through shows that she cares more about getting out of a bad news story than long-term solutions and working with staff.
“The lack of applicants for the position suggests the hospital’s reputation is tarnished and that the Minister should have done everything she could to have kept the wonderful staff in the unit.
“Too often, we hear the Minister deny the serious issues in our public health systems and try to patch the holes with short-term, ad hoc staffing solutions.
“The Minister has seen the poor culture fester in the Women Youth and Children Division and has decided it’s easier to plug gaps by outsourcing rather than actually fix the issues.”
The December pulse survey showed that compared to other Women’s, Maternity and Newborn Services, CHS reported 10 out of 12 questions that were below the norm, Ms Castley remarked. This was consistent with the statistically valid June 2021 pulse survey results, where 11 out of 13 questions rated below average.
“The Minister did not mention that these services would be outsourced in her speech three weeks ago which goes to show the lack of transparency and culture of secrecy that this Minister operates under,” Ms Castley said.
