“This is a government desperate to be seen to do something that might turn the tide of their own failures in managing the healthcare system effectively,” writes political columnist MICHAEL MOORE.

THE decision for the ACT government to be the sole public hospital provider for Canberrans has hardly been received with warmth from Calvary staff and the community. 

The need for a unilateral decision after Calvary has provided so many years of public hospital services raises an enormous red flag. 

“Outrageous thuggery” is the description used by the Acting Leader of the Opposition, Jeremy Hanson. The Liberals have railed against “secrecy and lack of consultation”, “draconian” measures and “secrecy”. 

For a government that prides itself on openness and accountability, the decision is pre-emptive. Previous negotiations with Calvary used the excuse of the need for Vatican approval – and this could take many years.

Most Canberrans would welcome a more efficient health system. Since Labor came to government the rating of the Canberra Hospital by national standards has deteriorated and deteriorated. It has moved from one of the strongest, most effective and efficient public health systems in Australia to amongst the weakest.

Attempts to improve culture and gain efficiencies with restructures, investigations, action on culture and changes to senior management, have had little impact. The Health Minister regularly announced such actions desperate for improvement.

In the meantime, the culture at Calvary Public Hospital has rarely been questioned and the management of the facility has been very effective. 

Why then would the Chief Minister and the Minister for Health consider investing more than a billion dollars of taxpayers’ money to build a new hospital over the next decade? This is a government desperate to be seen to do something that might turn the tide of their own failures in managing the healthcare system effectively.

Effective management, especially in the early stages of the pandemic in Canberra, was demonstrated with global-leading high vaccination rates, and carefully managed campaigns around social distancing, hand washing, contact tracing and isolation. 

Our community should expect equivalent management of our hospitals, which should be setting national standards in such areas as waiting times for elective surgery and access to emergency care. The opposite is true!

Despite announcing a 20-year plan to build the current southside Canberra Hospital, which was the subject of last week’s column, Chief Minister Andrew Barr has now changed tune and is talking about a single decade. 

He said: “Within the next decade, there will be two new hospitals with bigger emergency departments, more treatment spaces and modern equipment to meet the healthcare needs of Canberrans.”

Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith takes us back-to-the-future for those who remember the consolidation arguments used to close the Royal Canberra Hospital on the Acton Peninsula. The arguments were to deliver a more effective and efficient health system.

The health minister said: “Consolidating our public hospitals to create a single network will allow us to better co-ordinate our health services, distribute resources effectively, strengthen the capacity of our workforce, plan infrastructure on a territory-wide basis, and improve health outcomes for all Canberrans.”

In the meantime, it is the Liberals defending staff working at the hospital. Shadow Health Minister Leanne Castley raises the issue of trust: “The people that are drastically affected by this are the staff at Calvary who have clearly not been consulted before this announcement was made. “The health minister must explain why it has been kept secret from the staff and when Calvary was alerted about this draconian step to force them to sell”.

The stance was verified by the CEO of Cavalry Healthcare, Martin Bowles, who pointed out that the staff “have not been consulted at all about the potential ramifications of this decision”. He added: “I’m not exaggerating saying these people are absolutely devastated.”

There is simply no denying that the ACT government has launched a hostile takeover. Platitudes and thanks to Calvary for 44 years of service will not change this reality as legislation is introduced to allow the takeover.

Politically, the advantage of this move is that it provides an argument that the ACT government is addressing all the ills of the ACT hospital system. With actions like this, it is no wonder that the Liberals are calling for a Royal Commission to really understand the problems and solutions facing our hospital system.

Michael Moore is a former member of the ACT Legislative Assembly and an independent minister for health. He has been a political columnist with “CityNews” since 2006.

Let’s have a red-hot-go at stuffing up Calvary, too