Hansard debates

Mr McGUIRE (Broadmeadows) — Improving quality and safety is at the heart of these reforms. Victoria is internationally renowned for the quality of our health care, but no system is fail-safe. The requirement for continual improvement and vigilance was tragically highlighted by the catastrophic series of failures at Djerriwarrh Health Services, that led to preventable stillbirths or the deaths of newborn babies. This bill delivers on key recommendations from Dr Stephen Duckett's review into quality and safety in Victorian hospitals, and I am now informed that 57 of his recommendations have been implemented.

Dr Duckett's review identified inadequate oversight by the Djerriwarrh board as a contributing factor to that tragedy. In response this bill extends the quality and safety obligations that already apply to the boards of large public hospitals to the boards of small and medium size public hospitals. These are systemic changes in the public interest to improve care and potentially save lives.

There will be new board composition requirements, ensuring that the right mix of skills are represented, and all board members will be paid. This is a significant development and goes to the Andrews government's commitment and the commitment of the health minister that I applaud. These changes include for the first time that the board of directors of rural public hospitals will be able to be paid. Volunteers are highly regarded by the Andrews government, contrary to claims from the opposition. I know there have been considered views put forward by some opposition members, but I will be addressing some of the factual inaccuracies.

We know the value of volunteers, from everybody who knits outfits sold at the doors of hospitals, to people who visit chemotherapy patients, to volunteers who serve on boards. But this bill and the community demand more of our hospital boards. It is not fair to ask them to be volunteers any longer. I applaud the Andrews Labor government for professionalising boards in recognition of their roles and responsibilities.

This bill will limit public hospital board member tenure to nine years. For boards to effectively oversee hospital standards they must be independent of hospital staff. Boards should be dynamic and open to new ideas and perspectives. For these reasons Dr Duckett recommended, and the government is implementing, tenure limits. The tenure rules will be phased in to accommodate such change. During the proposed act's first three years, long tenure will be a factor considered by the minister when deciding whether to reappoint a board director, but it will not be determinative.

A person who has served nine years will still be eligible for reappointment. That is a critical point. After this the nine-year limit will apply. But if the circumstances require it, an exception may be made, so there is an opportunity there. A person may be extended beyond nine years if, for example, despite reasonable efforts no-one can be found with the crucial skills to serve on the board. These are like clinical skills, for example. That puts paid to the misinformation that has been put by the member for Lowan on how this will apply. That needs to be addressed, called out and put in a factual way on the record. The changes will not result in the termination of any current board member prior to the expiry of their term. The length of time served will be considered when board members reapply.

The bill also allows the government to crack down on dangerous and unregulated private providers, including cosmetic surgery facilities. I really want to emphasise those critical points. They should not be used in a misinformation campaign, because we have seen a pattern of behaviour on these from the opposition. The Victorian opposition is trying to trump the government by propagating ignorance, by conning and manipulating voters. They are now extending their strategy from the law and order debate to health. The Victorian coalition does not offer positive responses. It is playing into echo chambers amplifying fear. Such a strategy betrays the public interest and undermines the political system. I just want to make sure that people understand the facts of the matter.

I am informed that, to correct another misrepresented proposition, more than 200 regional board members have received board training already. These reforms, let us be absolutely clear, come after a catastrophic failure that led to deaths. They are about strengthening boards and ensuring that they are more qualified, more independent, more professional and more effective. There is absolutely no reason that improving the quality of boards would result in increased amalgamations. That is the other false proposition that has been put in this debate today by the member for Lowan, and it should be dismissed. There is no foundation in this bill to make that claim.

This is the pattern of behaviour that I am calling out in the way that some members of the opposition are misrepresenting what the government is doing for base political purposes. I acknowledge that other members of the opposition have made considered contributions in this debate, but where this happens it needs to be addressed, called out and dismissed as the propaganda that it is; it is not the fact of the matter. I think it is important for this debate to have that on the record.

I want also to refer to what is going to happen with data and information. There is also an improvement here to help improve the quality and identify and act on any risk. This comes from the Targeting Zero strategy, which found that there were serious weaknesses in our capacity to know what is happening in health services. I want to quote from the report:

Information is the lifeblood of a continuously improving hospital system, and it is not flowing in Victoria.

This is an important reform to address that issue.

Multiple recommendations in the report relate to improving the collection, analysis, reporting and use of data. Many of these will be addressed through non-legislative means, and a number will be addressed in subsequent legislative changes once the many complex information-sharing and privacy matters have been thoroughly considered and resolved. This is one of the real advantages that we have in the Victorian state health system. If we can harness big data, get the analysis done right with the analytics and then look at what are the systemic changes that can help, that will make a huge improvement to public health and to the recognition of Victoria as a world leader.

I say this from a medical research perspective as well, because it was one of the key assets that Vice-President Joe Biden acknowledged when he came to Melbourne for the opening of the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC), the billion-dollar jewel in our medical research crown. He recognised the value of the data that we have and the system that we have so that we can actually extract the key information that benefits health services and medical research. That is really the proposition about the VCCC and its contribution. It is of world renown, and our science and medical research is of the highest order and should be something that we celebrate and do not continuously try to take cheap shots at.

In summing up I just want to make sure that we have the facts on the record — that the Victorian government has not neglected boards as was stated by the member for Lowan. That has been addressed. The proposition that this could somehow damage governance — that is a false proposition. That has been addressed. The facts are clear; the understanding is there. False propositions should not become part of a scare campaign that is based on misinformation. They should be dismissed as propaganda because that is really what they represent. I am hoping to hear more considered responses to this bill, because of its importance, from opposition members. The Victorian government will be implementing further reforms to address these issues in the public interest.