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

example, nurses or doctors) their ethics training was an inherent part oftheir professional training, and therefore they should act ethically.… medical training and collegiate associations have an ethicalelement attached … [with respect to misconduct] the colleaguein me thinks “there but for the grace of God go I” … we all haveour weaknesses …[93] However, other managers commented on the inadequacy of the formaltraining offered with respect to misconduct particularly, and managementskills more generally.… we need to look at an orientation for new managers …2.3.3 Risk Management[94] Risk management planning at WACHS-Kimberley did not adequately dealwith the identification and management of misconduct risk. Misconduct asa risk particular to the range of functions carried out at Derby and Broomehospitals, and more widely across the region, had not been formallyidentified. To the degree that there was any clear risk management focuswithin WACHS-Kimberley, this was directed only at clinical risk. 10… clinical risk is very well done … would it be fair to saygovernment agencies treat misconduct risk as very, very lowbecause they don’t understand it? …[95] Discussion with managers about misconduct as a risk produced variedresponses, from the quite surprising dismissal of the matter as an issue ofno concern at all, and having the view of being too busy to be concerned –“we don’t have any major misconduct risks” – to those who expressedserious concerns about the risk in the environment in which they worked,and about the prospect that misconduct was (or was likely to be) occurringwithin the health setting – “what about [misconduct risks like] blurring ofprofessional boundaries, or inappropriate services, like [over] prescribing”.This divergence of view seemed to reflect two distinctly different serviceareas within the health service. Those expressing greater awareness andheightened concern generally came from non-clinical areas.2.3.4 Fraud and Corruption Control[96] Fraud and corruption are elements of misconduct. WA Health hasdeveloped a Fraud and Corruption Control Plan to “provide an appropriatestrategic framework for managing and preventing fraud and corruptionacross WA Health”. 11 The Plan and its implementation is the responsibilityof Corporate Governance. The Plan was released in January 2007.Formal implementation of the Plan was not evident in WACHS-Kimberley.Prior to the review, there had been an increased focus on the need formanagers within WACHS-Kimberley to report incidents of misconduct andfor the Commission to be notified of misconduct matters. It was notevident that this focus was linked to the implementation of the Plan.Rather, it seemed from staff comments to have been raised as a matter ofcompliance with the requirements of the CCC Act.25