Oct 29, 2020

New evidence reveals hundreds of aged care facilities were refused PPE when they needed it most

As coronavirus outbreaks wreaked havoc through our aged care system, more than 1500 facilities had their requests for personal protection equipment refused by the government. 

According to new evidence, as coronavirus ripped through aged care facilities, leaving hundreds of residents dead, the severity of the outbreaks could have been prevented with earlier access to PPE provided by the government. 

According to information from the Department of Health, of the 2865 aged care providers who requested PPE from the National Medical Stock, only 1324 of those requests were approved.

“The government has approached this challenge in a terribly reactive manner,” said Gerard Hayes, president of the Health Services Union.

“We know that access to PPE prevented outbreaks at some facilities during the pandemic. The importance of PPE was especially obvious after the Newmarch House fiasco.

“That’s why we wrote to the minister as the crisis was unfolding to insist the federal government immediately supply all aged care facilities with appropriate PPE supplies” he said.

During the COVID-19 outbreak across Australia, 216 aged care facilities experienced outbreaks, the bulk in Victoria. During those outbreaks, 683 aged care residents died with COVID-19. 

From the beginning of the pandemic, aged care providers were making requests to the NMS, and being refused. For those who then turned to purchasing the stock, “there was not availability, and there was price gouging” said Patricia Sparrow, chief executive of Aged and Community Services Australia. 

“Hospitals prepare for these types of outbreaks routinely, but the key thing was we’re not set up like hospitals,” she said.

According to evidence, in March there were 910 aged care providers around Australia requesting PPE from the NMS. Only 214 of those requests were approved.

Just one month later, as Newmarch House fell victim to Australia’s first major aged care outbreak, there were 178 requests in NSW, with 128 rejections. In Victoria at the same time, of 127 requests, there were 90 refusals. 

By July and August, as the situation in Victoria’s aged care system was at its peak, out of 1180 requests for PPE, 364 care facilities had their requests for assistance refused. 

“While Australia’s heroic aged care workers were doing everything they could to protect older Australians from COVID-19, the Morrison Government was busy short-changing them,” Julie Collins, Shadow Minister for Ageing and Seniors said in a statement. 

“The Morrison Government needs to immediately explain why so many providers asked for PPE but didn’t get it.” 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Where to find support for grief and loss as a remote aged care worker

Aged care workers in rural and remote areas face a number of unique challenges, but one often-forgotten possibility in dealing with the death of a resident is the grief and loss felt when a staff member has close personal connections. Read More

129,000 older Australians without enough home care as waiting list grows

  The government’s latest information shows that more than 129,000 older Australians are waiting for the level of home care they need. Those on the waiting list have been assessed as needing a particular level of care, but funding the full level of care has not come through. Many waiting more than 12 months for... Read More

Can a nap during night shift improve performance?

Anyone who has regularly worked through the night knows the tired, sluggish feeling associated with a string of night shifts, and the difficulty of catching up on sleep during the day. Should naps be part of nightshift? Read More
Advertisement