HEALTH Solutions (WA) (HSWA) has broken its silence this afternoon in the wake of damning media coverage of Peel Health Campus (PHC) over the weekend.
The coverage centred on a scathing Parliamentary report which called for a full and independent inquiry into the campus after doctors were found to have been paid ‘incentive’ payments to admit patients through the emergency department.
In a letter sent to Health Department Director General Kim Snowball today, HSWA said it would be “open and available” for an independent review relating to whether patients had been given clinically inappropriate or unnecessary treatment.
This is despite the refusal of HSWA major shareholder Jon Fogarty to appear before the Estimates Committee during the initial inquiry and HSWA’s failure – according to the committee – to fully cooperate with the inquiry.
In a statement made to Parliament last week, committee chair Giz Watson recommended the Procedure and Privileges Committee investigate whether HSWA was in contempt of the Legislative Council by failing to comply with summonses and requests for documentation.
But HSWA chairman Mark Stowell today said the company had provided an “enormous amount” of information to the committee and had “nothing to hide”.
“We believe the committee has not taken our responses into account,” he said.
“We would therefore welcome the initiating of an independent review which affords [PHC] proper procedural fairness.
“We do not consider we have received this to date.”
On behalf of the committee Ms Watson said she had received a “very extensive submission from (HSWA managing director) Neale Fong” which she believed was from HSWA.
Ms Watson also said the inquiry was hampered by the non-attendance of Mr Fogarty and the refusal of HSWA to provide board minutes relevant to the inquiry.
The Mandurah Mail had made numerous attempts to communicate with both Dr Fong and Mr Fogarty.
Neither have returned calls or emails.
Dr Fong is understood to have called a staff meeting today at PHC to address concerns relating to media coverage of the hospital.
