An inquiry looking into shortcomings in the funding of equipment used by health providers in New South Wales (NSW) heard that staff on the front line are concerned patients may be put at risk by incompatible medical equipment, and stock shortages across different health districts.
The Special Commission of Inquiry, introduced in August 2023 by NSW Premier Chris Minns, and chaired by Richard Beasley SC, has 12 months to conduct a review of NSW Health which includes a comprehensive examination of existing governance and accountability issues.
Around 200 submissions were received from health sector service providers, stakeholders, not-for-profit organisations, hospitals and the public to guide the inquiry.
NSW Minister for Health and Regional Health, Ryan Park MP called the investigation a “once in a generation look at how our health system is funded so we can ensure patients and our essential healthcare workers are getting the support they need.”
Funding levels are also being assessed to optimise health outcomes, which include redressing escalating costs and medical equipment wastage, by unifying procedures between local health districts and independent practitioners.
Public health costs the NSW taxpayer around $30 billion per year, and in September’s budget, the state government earmarked $13.8 billion in funding to redevelop hospitals, coupled with money to recruit extra workers.
Speaking at the Inquiry on Feb. 19, the stroke team lead at Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Kylie Tastula, detailed a lack of consistency between local NSW health districts, hospitals, and clinics regarding how stock and equipment were ordered, saying nurses had their work impeded by inadequate supply procedures, stock shortages, and variations in the type and availability of specialist equipment—all putting patients at risk.
“It should be standardised across the state,” Ms. Tastula said in reference to anecdotes of catheterised patients being put at risk of infection, after being transferred between hospitals due to incompatibilities with medical devices.
She said having a dedicated staff member tasked with acquiring supplies and critical equipment would help deal with the matter and alleviate the workload for nurses.
“Clinicians are the ones that keep an eye on the stock levels. I’m there to provide clinical care for a patient, not necessarily to do the negotiating of prices and things like that.”
NSW Nurses and Midwives Association president at Yass Hospital, Paul Haines, agreed that staff, not clinicians should be in place to keep an eye on stock levels.
“A clinician will identify that an item in stock is low, and they'll order it, and another clinician a day or so later, will also identify the same stock is low and order more. And then another day later it might be ordered again because nobody actually has responsibility for ordering that stock,” Mr. Haines told the inquiry.
“We don’t know what anybody ordered and nobody knows who’s accountable.”
The procurement of stock was complicated by a laborious approval process which had the knock-on effect of leaving hospitals without vital stock, said Ms. Tastula, who commented that there is no system in place to manage variations in stock and availability of equipment.
“I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard doctors asking for a device or a piece of equipment, only to be told the facility has run out.”
