PATIENTS ABANDONED
Health centre slammed for ‘appalling decision’ as services cut to in-home palliative care
A PALLIATIVE care provider has been slammed for replacing its overnight on-call nurses with a phone support line.
Bellarine Community Health last Thursday sent a letter to palliative care clients telling them they would no longer have on-call nurses between 4.30pm and 8am, and would rely on the Caritas Christi phone support service. Bellarine MP Lisa Neville launched a scathing attack on BCH for what she called an “appalling decision”.
A PALLIATIVE care provider has been slammed for replacing its overnight on-call nurses with a phone support line.
Bellarine Community Health last Thursday sent a letter to palliative care clients telling them they would no longer have on-call nurses between 4.30pm and 8am, and would rely on the Caritas Christi phone support service.
The change came into effect on Monday, four days after the letter was sent.
Bellarine MP Lisa Neville launched a scathing attack on BCH for the “appalling decision” to cut services for the Bellarine’s most vulnerable residents.
“Residents are being offered a second-rate palliative care service and this is unacceptable.” Ms Neville said.
“I was already in the process of organising a meeting with the Department of Health to raise my concerns about the inadequate level of service being provided.
“This is treating some of our most vulnerable residents with complete disrespect and they deserve an apology and a reversal of this decision.
“BCH should be focusing on improving their critical ser- vices, not diminishing them.”
Ms Neville revealed funding for the health service had been confirmed by the Health Minister’s office last week — “and it is expected they deliver it”.
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (Vic) secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick this week joined Ms Neville’s call for BCH to reconsider the move.
“There’s never been more Victorian Government funding or support for palliative care services to increase capacity and redesign services to meet the needs of Victorians who choose to die at home,” Ms Fitzpatrick said.
“ANMF urges BCH to explore all options to maintain and expand its services rather than replace nurses with a phone advice line.”
The ANMF was last night set to meet members to discuss the changes, which it claimed broke their EBA.
“ANMF advised BCH that the proposed changes were contrary to its obligations under the terms of the 2016 Victorian public sector nurses and midwives enterprise agreement and that it was not able to implement the changes,” Ms Fitzpatrick said.
BCH chief executive Shane Dawson this week claimed the changes were only temporary, despite the letter sent to clients failing to indicate it would be.
“Due to staffing circumstances we have had to temporarily suspend the overnight on-call nurse service,” Mr Dawson said.
“Despite our very best efforts, we have been unable to recruit a nurse for the role on a regular basis.”
He said some nurses had been employed in recent months, but claimed BCH had been unable to find a nurse to work on call overnight.
The service change is the latest in a series of dramas for the health service, which was in November asked to explain why it did not have police investigate claims a former worker defrauded the organis- ation of tens of thousands of dollars.
Police later investigated, and a forensic audit was ordered by the State Government.
BCH was also criticised in May for allegedly directly disobeying a government order not to appoint a new chief executive.
The allegation was refuted by BCH at the time.
“This is treating some of our most vulnerable residents with complete disrespect and they deserve an apology and a reversal of this decision.” BELLARINE MP LISA NEVILLE