WA Health Misconduct Handling Procedures - Corruption and Crime ...

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY[1] This report presents the Corruption and Crime Commission’s (“theCommission”) review (“the review”) of the Department of Health’s (“theDepartment”) management of misconduct 1 across WA Health. 2[2] From June 2007 to October 2009 the Commission conducted 304interviews; examined the policies, procedures and structure of 14 worksites; and conducted a survey of WA Health staff.[3] The site-based reviews were conducted at Princess Margaret Hospital forChildren (PMH), WA Country Health Service-Kimberley (WACHS-Kimberley) and Royal Perth Hospital (RPH).[4] The Commission also undertook a thematic review of the managementand handling of Schedule 4 and Schedule 8 drugs 3 in hospitals and themanagement of drug-related misconduct.[5] The findings of the various phases of the review can be broadlysummarised as detailed below.(1) Serious, identifiable misconduct risks exist in WA Health. Thesepose a risk to patient safety and have financial impacts.(2) There is limited practical capacity within WA Health to deal withmisconduct, and no real improvement has occurred over theperiod of the review.(3) Notwithstanding the work undertaken by WA Health during theperiod of the review, there is no evidence the Department hasestablished a misconduct management mechanism.(4) There is no high level ownership or direction of misconductmanagement within WA Health.[6] A series of drug-related case studies relating to the handling ofpharmaceuticals support these findings.(1) A nurse working at a remote area nursing post and at a regionalhospital stole and self-administered Schedule 8 and Schedule 4drugs over a two-and-a-half month period.(2) A nurse from an intensive care unit stole the Schedule 8 drugfentanyl from the hospital and was found slumped in the toilets.Work colleagues were reluctant to report the behaviour. The theft1 Refer section 4 of the Corruption and Crime Commission Act 2003 for definition of “misconduct”.2 In this report, “the Department” refers to the Department of Health situated at Royal Street, East Perth, andis the executive or management arm of WA Health. “WA Health” refers to the whole of the WA publichealth system.3 Refer p.vi (Executive Summary) and p.7 of this report for definitions of Schedule 8 and Schedule 4 drugs.xi