The Victorian Department of Health is investigating claims staff at a regional hospital and their family members posed as fake patients during a visit by the state's health minister. A local councillor is calling on Colac area health's leadership team to stand down if the allegations are found to be true, while the opposition is calling on an independent inquiry.
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00:00 Up to 12,000 people walk through these doors of this busy regional hospital each year,
00:07 almost double the capacity. But on one day in August last year, it appears there weren't
00:12 enough patients. A whistleblower has filed a complaint that several hospital staff and
00:16 family members presented to the clinic, posing as fake patients to fill beds, as Minister
00:22 Mary Anne Thomas walked through the facility, stopping for photos with board members and
00:26 hospital staff.
00:27 I do recall it was pretty busy at Colac that day, but I had no reason to be suspicious
00:33 about what I saw.
00:35 The matter was referred to IBAC and the Ombudsman. Both dropped their investigations before the
00:40 Department of Health launched its own inquiry.
00:42 If these allegations prove to be true, this is a very significant breach of trust that
00:49 has been perpetrated by some in the health service.
00:54 We need the truth now. How did this happen? Where else has it happened?
00:59 The state opposition has labelled it a serious scandal and criticised the Health Minister
01:03 for failing to alert the community. But local Liberal MP Richard Reardon is seemingly out
01:09 of step with his colleagues, appearing to back the ruse.
01:12 The concept of demonstrating the stresses and strains of a busy country urgent care
01:17 to the Minister on the rare occasion she comes to visit, I think has validity.
01:22 One local councillor says the hospital's leadership team should be held accountable.
01:25 They need to be sacked. We need to have integrity in our local health service.
01:29 Colac Area Health declined to comment today, other than releasing a two-line statement
01:33 from the board chair, saying the organisation is aware of the investigation and is taking
01:38 appropriate action.
01:39 I would take a very dim view of anyone that sought to abuse the trust of the community
01:46 in this way.
01:47 It is not clear when, or if, the government will release the findings of its investigation.
01:51 [BLANK_AUDIO]