Annette Ellis (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Ageing. I ask the minister: what is the latest information on police checks for people who are working in nursing homes?

Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for Canberra for her question. The care and protection of Australia’s elderly is my main concern and my main focus as the Minister for Ageing. Can I remind the House that in Australia there are more than 2,870 accredited nursing homes and more than 116,000 people are employed as nurses, personal care workers and allied health workers. These people are the backbone of the aged care sector. They are indeed a very dedicated and committed workforce. However, the reality is that there is a tiny section of the community who prey upon the vulnerable and the frail. That is why I have instructed my department to look into the area of police checks for workers within the aged care sector.

On 1 March 2007, the previous government introduced a scheme in this regard; however, the guidelines need to be improved. This must happen. Currently staff in aged care facilities are required to have police checks if they have unsupervised access to residents. I want to toughen up these requirements. Police checks should apply to all staff in nursing homes—that is, people who have supervised or unsupervised access to the frail and aged. I have instructed the Department of Health and Ageing to review the guidelines for staff working with residents and to write to all the nursing homes to inform them of our intention to review the guidelines and to seek their views. We will also consult with relevant peak body organisations and relevant unions. Protecting our older Australians within nursing homes is a serious issue, and I hope to have the guidelines in place later this year. I know that there will be some people in the community who will oppose these stricter police checks, but I make no apologies to anybody for protecting older Australians.

Margaret May (McPherson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is also addressed to the Minister for Ageing and is in relation to the Murwillumbah Nursing Home, which is in her electorate. Minister, given the fact that this home has failed so many accreditation standards that there is concern it should be closed down, why will you not release the inspection report to the residents and their families? Further, why does your department say Murwillumbah Nursing Home has three months to meet standards, yet the home itself says it has six months?

Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for McPherson for her question. This certainly is a major concern of mine when it comes to nursing homes right throughout our nation. The member highlighted issues in relation to the Murwillumbah Nursing Home. I am advised that from 14 to 18 January this year, the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency conducted a review audit of the Murwillumbah Nursing Home and the agency found the home to be noncompliant with 14 of the 44 accreditation outcomes. I am committed to releasing those details to the residents, because my primary concern is for the welfare of older Australians. Whilst I am here, can I just say that what we saw for 11 years under the Howard government was a decline in investment in aged care—

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order going to relevance.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When we took over it was a disgrace!

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Sturt will stop interjecting. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition has the call.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, this was a specific question about the release of a report and the difference between a six-month accreditation period and a three-month accreditation period, and I ask you to direct the minister back to the question.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Orderly conduct of question time is not assisted by the ongoing interjections from the frontbench on my left. The minister will respond to the question.

Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Deputy Leader of the Opposition for bringing up that point in relation to compliance and the time period, because it was under the Howard government that these procedures were put in place, when we saw a decline in investment in aged care and we saw massive workforce shortages. That is what we saw when they were in office.

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! It is a serious question and members will come to order.

Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Returning to the Murwillumbah Nursing Home, as I said, the situation there is simply not good enough. That is why I am pleased to tell the House that I will be releasing that information. But, as I was saying before, the legacy of previous Howard government ministers for ageing is a disgrace—a massive underinvestment, aged care bed shortages and one scandal after another.