Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wish to add to an earlier answer. The advice I've just received from Deputy Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd provides a correction to the information that was previously provided to me. Earlier today, the vaccine operation centre provided the following public statement in writing:

Healthcare Australia has confirmed the doctor had undertaken the training.

Just before question time, the report from the Deputy Chief Medical Officer confirmed in writing:

HCA has advised that this doctor, and all health professionals involved in the immunisation rollout, have … completed the online training provided through the Australian College of Nursing, and the company has advised that it has copies of the successful certificate of completion of the course for each health professional involved in the vaccine rollout.

The revised advice from Healthcare Australia is that, on further investigation, the doctor had not completed the required training. This is being investigated by Healthcare Australia, and we are expecting a report later today. Healthcare Australia has advised that all other Healthcare Australia immunisers have completed the training. Healthcare Australia has also advised that this doctor has not been involved in the vaccine rollout in any other facilities. Given this, (1) I apologise to the House for the inadvertence; (2) I have again reaffirmed my apologies to the family; and (3) I have asked the department to take action against the company and the doctor for what is a clear breach on both fronts. I table both pieces of written advice to which I referred, which confirm the advice of Healthcare Australia as previously stated.