PEEL Health Campus (PHC) will experience an “ultimate catastrophe” if private operator Health Solutions WA (HSWA) continues to cut corners, according to a former PHC executive staff member.
Ashton Foley resigned from her position as PHC chief operating officer (COO) after just six months on Monday due what she called “inadequate leadership and governance” and a “dysfunctional board”.
In the past five years the campus has had five different chief executive officers and now with Ms Foley’s sudden departure there has been four different COOs in that time.
Recently appointed HSWA managing director Neale Fong, who has been on the hospital board since early 2012, said
changes in senior management were common in any business.
“The majority of these changes were due to private and personal reasons of the person involved,” he said.
“Our management [is] very experienced and we have a very strong team.
“PHC has continued to provide excellent patient care for the past 15 years, and our patient satisfaction levels are extremely high.”
But Ms Foley said her exit was more than ‘common business practice’ and cited a “poorly managed business”.
She said she had serious concerns that had been going on long before she started there.
“The first few months I was there I was apologising for sins of the past,” she said.
“
It seemed like a fabulous place to work and I didn’t know why [my predecessors] had all left until I started unearthing problems.”
Ms Foley said the problems came “from above” with concerns raised by her not being addressed by the board.
“Concerns I took to PHC executive chairman John Fogarty were covered up,” she said.
“I was basically told to shut-up.
“All they’re concerned about is the new redevelopment.”
Among these concerns were situations where Ms Foley said no formal system training was in place and old technical equipment and hazardous furnishings were not maintained or replaced.
She said an example of this was when the old amniotic fluid and blood-stained carpet in the Barker and Bennett wards was not replaced.
“It’s an infection control risk,” she said.
Ms Foley said this shortfall was because PHC was run “on a shoestring”.
The mother-of-four fears with management shortfalls and “PHC cutting corners at every chance … someone is going to pay the price and [this] could be lethal”.
“While it’s not having an adverse effect on patient care now, it’s just a matter of time,” she said.
Ms Foley said it was sad and a shame as people at the campus were very hard working and held the hospital up despite the managing mishaps.
Opposition spokesperson Roger Cook said the recent resignation of Ms Foley was cause for serious concern.
Mr Cook said he had serious doubts the hospital could function properly in light of the many departures over the past five years.
“It’s clearly dysfunctional at company level,” he said.
“Ashton leaving is an indication that the situation is not improving.”
Mr Cook said the privatisation of the hospital was “dreadful”.
“I call on the Minister of Health to research the situation further and to offer the Peel community clarity on the issue and why we should remain supportive of its services,” he said.
“What is going on in this hospital?”
