DAMNING claims about the private operator of Peel Health Campus (PHC) have been made public today by Opposition Health spokesperson Roger Cook.
The allegations against Health Solutions (WA) were made at a Legislative Council Committee hearing.
Listen to Mr Cook's comments below.
Mr Cook claimed Health Solutions (WA) was in debt to the tune of about $1.4million after patients were unnecessarily admitted to its emergency department.
“These are serious allegations which should be thoroughly investigated and if appropriate, referred to the law enforcement agencies,” Mr Cook said.
“Government officials have admitted an audit was carried out after a disproportionate spike in admissions to the hospital’s Emergency Department.
“The audit found patients were admitted to hospital that didn’t need to be and the private operator was forced to pay back around $1.4million in overpayments.”
Mr Cook said the Committee also heard allegations of doctors at the hospital being paid incentives to admit patients from the hospital’s Emergency Department.
"If true, these allegations surely mean that impropriety has taken place,” Mr Cook said.
“The only basis on which a patient should enter a hospital is if they need care, not so the private operator and doctors can benefit from extra payments.
"These allegations suggest patients may have been treated unnecessarily and worse still, other patients may not have been treated because beds were already in use.
“This would be an extraordinary state of affairs.
“The Health Minister should investigate these allegations as a matter of urgency and explain what he will do to improve health services for Mandurah and the Peel region and prosecute any issues of impropriety.”
Mr Cook said the allegations raised serious questions about the Barnett Government's privatisation agenda.
"If these allegations are confirmed, it means the Barnett Government is allowing its ideology to stand in the way of good health services,” he said.
Comment has been sought from PHC and the Health Department.
