Unacceptable levels of bullying and an unsustainable financial position have been a major focus of Albury Wodonga Health over the past year.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The issues were revealed in the organisation’s 2016-17 annual report, released this week.
The Border Mail reported in 2013 that 40 per cent of AWH staff experienced bullying, sparking an investigation into workplace culture.
But three years later, in 2016, the situation had not changed enough.
A report from chief executive Leigh McJames and board chair Nicola Melville said it was refreshing the 2016 “people matter survey” found staff were strongly committed to patient care.
“However, it also indicated that a proportion of staff lacked confidence in senior management and some governance processes, such as recruitment,” they said.
“It indicated that there was an unacceptable level of bullying in some areas. Management implemented a range of actions to address these issues focused on improving staff engagement and communication and strengthening leadership.”
Over the next year, AWH restructured its People, Culture and Development Department with extra investment. The results of the 2017 people matter survey showed improvements of 2 to 10 per cent.
The annual report also revealed the hospital recorded a loss of $2.5 million in 2016-17, but was on track for a break-even result next year.
Hospitals were required to release the number of “occupational violence incidents” towards staff.
AWH had the higher number with 305 incidents for the year across its locations, followed by Northeast Health Wangaratta with 62, Alpine Health with 36 and Beechworth Health with 35.
“There appears to be the view that clinical violence is an inevitable part of the job."
- Albury Wodonga Health
AWH admitted occupational violence was under reported because staff faced barriers such as not having access to computers at the end of their shifts.
“Occupational violence is an issue whereby a zero tolerance approach should be taken, yet Albury Wodonga Health employees report that there is a perceived failure by management to take responsive action when responding to such instances,” the report stated.
“No matter the clinical condition, staff indicate through reporting methods that ‘the patient couldn’t help it’.
“From a staff perspective, there appears to be the view that clinical violence is an inevitable part of the job.
“This alarming detail is elicited from comments repeatedly sourced by way of employee interviews that relate to the frequency of occupational violence incidents.”
Hospital vaccines for flu over 75%
Flu vaccination levels of hospital staff are meeting the required rate of 75 per cent across the North East.
The issue was on the agenda this year when the federal government flagged forcing aged-care staff to be immunised following the deaths of eight elderly residents at a Wangaratta nursing home.
Annual reports released this week showed Beechworth Health had the highest ratio of health care workers immunised at 95 per cent, followed by Northeast Health Wangaratta at 90 per cent, Alpine Health at 83 per cent and Albury Wodonga Health met the state target of 75 per cent.
AWH also revealed it welcomed 1639 newborn babies in the 2016-17 financial year and treated 62,943 people in the emergency department, an increase of 651 from the year before.
NHW treated 24,539 ED patients, up by 1143, and welcomed 679 babies, an additional 70 to the previous year.