Rex Patrick (SA, Nick Xenophon Team) Share this | Hansard source

That's fine. I also rise to speak on this report of the Senate Community Affairs References Committee. This is a very important report because it deals with one of the most important measures of effective government and, indeed, of any advanced society—namely, how we treat some of the most vulnerable members of our community. The committee has examined the circumstances and the failures that allowed for the long-term abuse and poor care of residents at the Oakden aged mental healthcare facility.

The events that triggered this report were tragic and appalling. They were also avoidable and should never have happened. South Australia's Chief Psychiatrist, Dr Aaron Groves, found that at Oakden there was widespread abuse, overmedication, excessive use of restraint and neglect over a period of more than a decade. As mentioned by Senator Siewert, this investigation was sparked by the alleged overdosing of former resident Mr Bob Spriggs, who was found with bruises thought to have been caused by inappropriate use of restraints. The events at Oakden clearly involve failures in the most basic duty of care to very vulnerable people and their families. 'Shameful' is the description that is most appropriately applied to this state of affairs.

The committee has done well to produce its report in a timely manner—something that stands in contrast to the many delays that have characterised other responses to the situation at Oakden. The secretariat, in particular, have done an excellent job of distilling the evidence received and accurately identifying the issues, and I thank them for that. NXT strongly supports the findings and recommendations of the report.

As the committee identifies, some blame must and should be directed at the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency for their failure to detect and deal with what were systemic and life-threatening problems at Oakden. I share Senator Polley's concerns about Mr Ryan's responses to the committee. Ultimately, however, the primary responsibility for the disgrace that was Oakden lies with the South Australian government. The South Australian government were directly responsible for the causes of the failed operations at Oakden. These include (1) inexcusably, the failure to have an appropriate model of care, which the South Australian Chief Psychiatrist summed up by saying, 'Oakden is not providing the right care at the right time from the right team'; (2) poor infrastructure, as Oakden's facilities were entirely unsuitable for its purpose; (3) major failures in understaffing and inadequate staff training; and (4) profound failures in clinical governance.

Finally, there was undoubtedly a toxic culture. Morale at Oakden was very poor. There was bickering, dissent, and disrespect amongst staff in an atmosphere that could only be described as secretive, inward-looking and poisonous. This was a deeply dysfunctional facility, quite unsuited to the care of frail and vulnerable people. These problems were the results of longstanding neglect by the South Australian government. It is astounding that it was not recognised by South Australian health authorities.

The South Australian government failed to properly fund this facility, because their health budget was heading into crisis, haemorrhaging from the new Royal Adelaide Hospital costs, which eventually blew out to more than $700 million. One can only imagine what a tiny portion of that $700 million could have done to the lives of those that suffered at Oakden.

As stated in the committee's report, family members' accounts of Oakden consistently featured themes of feeling betrayed by the public aged-care system. For too long, their grave concerns about members of their families were ignored and dismissed by an institution, a system, that refused to look at itself. They felt let down by a system that was intended to help vulnerable people. They were let down, and the results were tragic. It was the South Australian government that failed them, and that failure can only be characterised as shameful.