Chris Ellison (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

On 16 August 2007, the Department of Health and Ageing imposed sanctions on the operator of Belvedere Park Nursing Home in Sydenham, Melbourne, revoking its approval as a provider of aged-care services and its allocation of residential care places. The Administrative Appeals Tribunal has made an order which has stayed the operation and implementation of the department’s decision to impose sanctions on the operator of that nursing home, pending a full hearing of the matter. The AAT has ordered that Saitta Pty Ltd can continue to operate as an approved provider of aged care and will be able to admit residents to the home as long as it appoints an administrator approved by the department who has the clinical expertise to make decisions about the operation of the home and the care of residents.

The department has advised that, as of today, it has approved the administrator nominated by the approved provider. The department has only very limited avenues of appeal in relation to the order of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. The department has, however, instructed its lawyers to seek an urgent hearing with the AAT to finalise this matter. I am advised that the last resident left Belvedere Park at 6 pm on 22 August 2007. All 25 residents are now relocated in other homes. The department and the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency are continuing to monitor the home to determine if new residents are admitted. If this occurs the department and the agency will monitor the care and services provided at the home.

The department imposed the original sanctions because the provider failed to meet 42 out of 44 accreditation outcomes as recommended by assessors of the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency. A review audit conducted by the agency between 6 and 10 August 2007 found that the home had serious and widespread problems both in relation to the provision of care and the overall living environment.

The other part of the senator’s question was in relation to the accreditation history of the home. In relation to Belvedere Park, I can say that it has had a history of serious noncompliance from 1998 to 2002 in response to which the department imposed sanctions on five occasions. From August 2002 until the end of 2006 the agency monitored Belvedere Park but it did not find noncompliance. The recent very serious noncompliance was identified in an unannounced visit by the agency on 23 July 2007 following the receipt of a complaint by the department. Some noncompliance was identified by the agency and the home was placed on a timetable for improvement.

In a subsequent visit on 3 August 2007 the agency was not satisfied with progress and conducted a full review audit. During that audit widespread noncompliance was identified. The agency determined that there was a serious risk to residents and of course referred this matter to the department and the department took immediate action and imposed sanctions. As for previous accreditation from 2002 to the end of 2006, there was monitoring of the home and I believe that prior to 2002 previous sanctions were imposed on five occasions between 1998 and 2000— (Time expired)