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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-03-10 Daily Xml
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EATING DISORDER UNIT

Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (14:49): My question is to the Minister for Health. Why has Flinders Medical Centre psychiatrist Dr Randall Long, who works with the eating disorder unit at Ward 4G, been sent a disciplinary letter and threatened with the sack after he spoke out against the government's proposal to close Ward 4G eating disorder unit?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Health.

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Southern Suburbs, Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts) (14:50): That is an interesting question from the member for Morphett. I was advised about this just before question time.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. HILL: Can I say that I have not instructed anybody in relation to this, so it is not an initiative by me, but I can tell the house a little bit about it. There is a flyer going around, which has been attached to various places in the Flinders Medical Centre, which says 'Save Flinders' Eating Disorders Unit'—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. HILL: The member has asked a serious question, and I am trying to give him an answer, but the house needs to understand the background so that the information I give makes some sense. He has placed a flyer saying:

Save Flinders' Eating Disorders Unit. Only public action can stop this disaster. Contact the minister—

and there is a photograph of me in my pre-beard stage, so it is probably not recognisable to most people. It goes on to say:

Help stop the Eating Disorder Unit at Flinders from closing down. Eating Disorder Unit closure puts lives in danger.

He has at the top 'Eating Disorder Unit: Eating Disorder Unit closure puts life in danger', and then Adelaide Advertiser, 20 November 2010. Of course, he is the one who gave that quote to the Adelaide Advertiser, so he is quoting himself but distancing himself from it by referring to The Advertiser.

In relation to the issue the member raised, I am advised that, on 14 December 2010, the General Manager of the Flinders Medical Centre sent the following memo to her staff. The memo is entitled 'Flinders Medical Centre Notice Boards', and it states:

I would like to remind staff that most notice boards at Flinders Medical Centre should only be used to display corporate information. Noticeboards located outside the lift areas are restricted to official Flinders Medical Centre and Flinders University business.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. HILL: Madam Speaker, they always have these wonderful interjections. They can ask whatever questions they like. I would be happy to answer any of the things they raise, but it is difficult to concentrate on the topic at hand when other topics are being thrown across the chamber. The memo goes on:

When thinking about displaying a notice at Flinders Medical Centre, please consider the following guidelines:

Notices should not be placed on walls, inside lifts or anywhere in the hospital other than on the provided noticeboards.

Notices should not contain inappropriate, inciteful or offensive information. Notices of this nature will be removed immediately.

Notices should use the appropriate corporate branding. Templates are available on the intranet [site].

Media and Communications are responsible for maintaining the noticeboards and regularly update the information on them.

There are general noticeboards on level 4 (near to the receiving stores...) which can be used to display notices which are not of a corporate nature, such as the selling of goods.

Guidelines are currently being developed for the display of information in and around the hospital. Staff will be advised when these guidelines are—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. HILL: I am also advised that a note was sent from the general manager to a range of people, which states:

Dear All,

Please find enclosed a copy of a flyer that has been placed across level 4 at FMC. I don't know who has produced and distributed it, but please could you advise all mental health personnel at FMC that, whilst there is a degree of tolerance for the nature of the concerns being raised, the choice of wording on the literature being circulated at this public hospital is inappropriate, as were the flyers depicting the health minister before Christmas.

I do not know what they did, but they were in the same category.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. HILL: The note goes on:

Unfortunately, choosing to use phrases within the material that relate directly to the Department of Health and its decision-making in an inflammatory manner is not acceptable and, if the author and distributor are identified then the appropriate HR investigation action will be followed and this action is likely to constitute bringing the organisation into disrepute.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. HILL: Just a second, Madam Speaker. I'm almost finished. It goes on:

Thank you for your support in this matter. Ross and the corp comms team that removed the flyers this morning...as further guidance provided to all staff in FMC.

Mrs Redmond interjecting:

The Hon. J.D. HILL: The Leader of the Opposition interjects 'Mr Hill said.' Well, I didn't say anything of the sort. I wasn't even aware they were up until after this matter was brought—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.D. HILL: Let me put it to the opposition: if the opposition is of the view that the walls of our health system should be used like the Great Wall of China for every political campaign that anybody wants to promote—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. HILL: —how would she feel if I were to go down there and arrange for big posters attacking her position on health to be placed all over the hospital? Can you imagine—

Mr PENGILLY: Point of order. I presume the minister, in referring to 'she' or 'her', is referring to the opposition leader.

The SPEAKER: You have not really explained your point of order but, yes, the minister is aware of that.

The Hon. J.D. HILL: I said: how would the Leader of the Opposition feel if I went down there to say etc., etc. How would she feel—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.D. HILL: I am allowed to say that because I was referring to—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister has been answering this very carefully. Can we hear the rest of his answer?

The Hon. J.D. HILL: I am sure that the member for Croydon and the Deputy Speaker would be pleased to conduct a seminar on the proper use of pronouns at some stage and would happily take the member for Finniss through why what I said was perfectly correct. I know—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. HILL: —that the Leader of the Opposition would understand that I was referring to her in that context. So, what I am saying to members on the other side is: how would they feel if I were to go down there and stick up a whole lot of posters attacking the Liberal Party? They would object. The hospital—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Norwood, I warn you!

The Hon. J.D. HILL: The hospital management is applying standard protocols which would apply in all agencies under both Labor and Liberal about how material which has a political content should be displayed—or whether it be religious content or a whole range of other content. There is nothing exceptional about this, as I am sure all of you properly understand.

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