Bendigo Health chairman Bob Cameron is standing by the hospital’s board in the face of criticism from the state opposition.
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Coalition health spokeswoman Mary Wooldridge used an address to state parliament to question the board’s competence to investigate allegations against chief executive officer John Mulder, saying staff were “frustrated” by the lack of action.
The state’s Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission tabled its report on Mr Mulder’s conduct – along with that of another hospital employee, Adam Hardinge, who has now been convicted on theft and deception charges – in parliament in March.
The investigation, dubbed Operation Liverpool, concluded Mr Mulder misappropriated up to $10,000 in goods and services for his private use, and Bendigo Health is now conducting its own investigation into the allegations.
“It is four months since the CEO stepped down, and this has still not been resolved, and it is fair to say staff are very frustrated. They want to do their jobs properly, and they are being constrained from doing that,” Ms Wooldridge said.
“There is a very serious question as to whether the board is up to the job given their clear failure to manage these very critical issues."
Mr Cameron responded to Ms Wooldridge’s comments in a statement, saying “an employment law investigation is currently under way as per standard long-term practice”.
“The acting CEO and the team at Bendigo Health are settling in and increasing productivity at the new hospital,” he said.
“They have reduced the elective surgery waiting list by 230 since March 2017 and during May performed more procedures in the new interventional suites than ever before in the history of Bendigo Health, this is a great achievement by the team.”
Ms Wooldridge’s comments follow an investigation into changes to pathology services at the hospital by the state’s healthcare safety agency last month.
Safer Care Victoria staff visited the hospital on May 29 to assess any risk to patients stemming from a decision to relocate microbiology services to Melbourne.
SCV is yet to finalist its report but Mr Cameron said he welcomed feedback “that we have a strong safety culture throughout the organisation.”
Health Minister Jill Hennessy declined to affirm her confidence in the board.