A REVIEW into paediatric services at Canberra Hospital has found there is a lack of appropriate care for critically ill and deteriorating patients.

Eleven critical issues were identified in the external review of care settings at Canberra Health Services including a lack of appropriate care settings for deteriorating patients, workforce and training gaps, sustainability for general paediatrics staff, and a lack of formal arrangements with the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network.

Conducted by Resolve Health Advisory in 2021, the review comes following four paediatric deaths at Canberra Hospital including five-year old Rozalia Spadafora who died a day after being admitted to Canberra Hospital with the flu.

The review – conducted over an eight week period – also found that the care of children and adolescent inpatients with mental health issues was not provided in line with best practice, with challenges in accessing timely specialist advice, and a lack of specialist mental health staff.

Concerns regarding culture and perceived “excessive bureaucracy” were also identified in the review, which was tabled in the Legislative Assembly yesterday (October 20) when the Assembly had been debating proposed drug decriminalisation laws.

Opposition spokesperson for Health Leanne Castley said the report was “damning” and highlights “concerning” problems with paediatric care in the ACT.

“The report, which the Minister [Rachel Stephen-Smith] attempted to sneak through the Assembly yesterday with a nothing to see here approach contains scathing feedback from stakeholders which has resulted in an extensive list of priority issues in the paediatric division,” Castley said.

“Despite the Minister continually stating everything is working as it should, this report clearly shows paediatric care in the ACT is not up to scratch and doesn’t even come close to what our children deserve.

“This Labor-Greens government has dropped the ball and our children have borne the brunt.”

The review also included a three-year services plan for paediatrics in the territory’s public health system.

‘Rozalia was like the sun, that sun’s gone, we are lost’