MINISTER FINALLY ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR AGED CARE FAILINGS

Julie Collins MP.
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3 years ago
MINISTER FINALLY ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR AGED CARE FAILINGS
Julie Collins MP
The Minister for Aged Care has finally accepted responsibility for the serious deficiencies in care at Victorian nursing homes but the Morrison Government must now ensure it does not happen again.
 
“I think we all collectively have to take responsibility for that as a government. Some of the things that happened at St Basil's with the very rapid changeover that was required weren’t acceptable. So we'll have to take responsibility for that … we didn't get it all right.”

·         SENATOR RICHARD COLBECK, ABC AFTERNOON BRIEFING, 29 JULY 2020
 
The growing reports of horrific and avoidable failures in nursing homes where the Federal Government has intervened or been responsible are shocking. These failures can never be allowed to happen again.
 
Labor’s thoughts are with these residents and families as this tragedy unfolds in Victoria’s nursing homes.
 
The growing list of Morrison Government failures in preparing for COVID-19 in aged care and responding to outbreaks is deeply concerning.
 
The Morrison Government failed to audit nursing homes’ stock of PPE, even after more than 1,000 aged care providers across the country requested access to the national stockpile.
 
The Morrison Government had delivered PPE training to just 1 in 5 aged care workers on the eve of outbreaks across Victoria.
 
With families being left in the dark across facilities in Victoria it is clear the Morrison Government learnt nothing after Newmarch House where they supplied just one social worker to deal with communication. 
 
We have seen the devastating impact of COVID-19 outbreaks in aged care in Australia and across the globe.
 
Why was the Morrison Government not better prepared for outbreaks that would impact our nation’s most vulnerable?
 
Australia’s aged care system was broken before the COVID-19 pandemic and this is only putting extra stress on the system.
 
Health and Aged Care