Staff from Bass Coast Health are adjusting to the recent changes made to district nursing services. They are, from left, Rouvea Talty, interim Nurse Unit manager for district and palliative care Shiela Korda, executive director of Primary and Community Services Paul Greenhalgh, Michelle Evans and Jenny Thompson (seated).
RECENT changes to the Bass Coast Health (BCH) Community Nursing Program have prompted a petition in the Inverloch community calling for the changes to be scrapped.
BCH has moved to bring together the clinical nurse consultant team and the district and palliative care team.
This was done in order to create a more integrated nursing service.
The clinical nurse consultant team shifted to San Remo prior to Christmas, with the Wonthaggi-based district and palliative care nurses to join them later this month.
The decision made by BCH has angered many within the community, including Inverloch resident Margaret Pope.
“I was horrified when I read that Bass Coast Health has made the decision to amalgamate district nursing and palliative care offices,” Mrs Pope said.
“How are elderly people with diabetes living in Inverloch going to get their insulin injection at 8am each morning, when hand-over is in San Remo, 37km away?”
Mrs Pope has had first-hand experience with local district nursing services.
“My dear husband Graeme was able to remain at home until the day before he died due to the dedication, expertise and compassion of these wonderful nurses,” she said.
“I only hope that it is not too late to reverse this ludicrous decision that will negatively impact on the very people it is meant to serve.”
Mrs Pope has started a petition supporting the retention of the District Nurses and Palliative Care team in Wonthaggi.
The petition can be signed at the Inverloch Newsagency, Inverloch Post Office, Foodworks supermarket in Inverloch or at the Inverloch Community House.
Within a week, the petition received more than 200 signatures.
Executive director of Primary and Community Care, Paul Greenhalgh, said service to the public would not be affected.
“We are working closely with the staff and have held meetings and workshops to ensure we work through all the implementation issues appropriately to support the changes,” Paul said.
“Whilst change is always difficult for some staff, the majority have embraced the notion of a single geographical base and the strengthened leadership model.
“We are confident that the overall service will be better positioned to see more patients across the whole Bass Coast Shire, and that the capabilities of the team will be enhanced to provide more care to our community.”
BCH CEO Jan Child said she expects significant efficiencies as a result of the integrated structure.
“There will be no loss of service – exactly the opposite – we are expanding the services and the changes will allow the expertise of the team to grow along with the amount of services provided over time.
“This change is ensuring we provide contemporary nursing services in line with our strategic plan and the soon to be released Clinical Services Plan.”
The turnover is very high, with a huge turnover of staff in all areas. This is due to chaotic micromanagement, a workplace bullying culture, unreasonable, unworkable and unnecessary changes (such as the ridiculous district nursing changes) and similarly unworkable changes to other departments designed to save money, which is then spent on paying increasing layers of executive management transferred from Frankston Hospital. Many workers have been bullied out of their jobs and others have left in disgust. No responsibility has been taken for workers who had to leave due to depression and others who suicided. Some new workers have walked out in less than a week when they experience the horrible culture there. I was forced to leave my job after almost ten years, when my position was reduced from a specialist counsellor to the lackey of a workplace bully (with the goal of pushing me out to save money). This hospital is working hard to make itself the employer nobody wants to work for, and a white elephant in the community.
I just find it fascinating that all of the executive have left in about a 12 month period. The new CEO seems to me to have a higher turnover of executive staff then the previous CEO. I have found such high turnovers rare in hospitals in the country and the city. I am not suprised the cracks at Bass Coast Health are emerging. For some it looks as though history is repeating.