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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-11-29 Daily Xml
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Women's and Children's Hospital

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (14:59): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Attorney-General, representing the Minister for Health in another place, a question about the Women's and Children's Hospital.

Leave granted.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO: The clean-out of our once world-renowned Women's and Children's Hospital appears to be continuing. In September, former chief executive, Lindsey Gough, suddenly announced she was quitting her role. What wasn't made clear was whether she was pushed or jumped, but what is clear is that she quit long before her contract was up for renewal and shortly after the appointment of a new chair to the hospital. Her sudden exit followed a tumultuous time for the hospital, which included:

the cochlear implant scandal;

the Coroner's finding that a six-week-old baby died in the Women and Children's Hospital when his oxygen levels dropped after doctors decided to put off a procedure;

the Women's and Children's Hospital embarrassing lost training accreditation for its Paediatric Intensive Care Unit and only gaining provisional accreditation for its Neonatal ICU; and

the cluster of four baby deaths at the hospital in a one-month period, all linked to the hospital's lack of a paediatric cardiac surgery unit.

My questions to the minister are:

1. Can he confirm the hospital's long-term executive director, medical services, workforce, education and partnerships—the executive whose responsibility it was to oversee at least two of the abovementioned controversies—has left the hospital despite his name and role still being listed on the hospital's website?

2. If he has left, what was the reason for leaving, and did he go of his own volition or did the hospital board choose not to renew the contract?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (15:01): I thank the honourable member for his questions. I am happy to pass those on to the health minister in another place and bring back a reply.

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