LGH Survey - Queensland Consulting Firm

Tuesday 10 November 2020

Question without notice

Ms ARMITAGE question to LEADER of the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Mrs HISCUTT

[2.35 p.m.]

Will the Leader please advise - and this is a question I have asked a couple of times, and I am really hoping to have a straight answer this time -

(1) Why was a Queensland firm called Insync engaged to conduct a survey on behalf of the Launceston General Hospital Emergency Department - LGHED - attendees earlier this year, instead of engaging a Tasmanian firm?

(2) Will the Leader please further advise -

(a) When was Insync engaged by the department?

(b) What is, or will be, the term and total cost of their contracted work?

ANSWER

Mr President, I thank the member for her Launceston for her question.

(1) and (2)

The LGH Emergency Department conducts annual experience and engagement surveys as a mandatory requirement under the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, National Safety and Quality Health Service - NSQHS - Standards Action 1.13.

The NSQHS Standard Action 1.13 stipulates the mandatory requirement for health services -

· to have processes to seek regular feedback from patients, carers and families about their experiences and outcomes of care;

· to use this information to improve safety and quality systems.

Benchmarking and comparison to other health services nationally is also a mandatory requirement under the NSQHS Standards.

Sourced as part of a quotation process by the Tasmanian Health Service, the current provider is able to provide benchmarking with other healthcare services to ensure comparison of quality of care, and identify specific areas of improvement to dedicated services such as emergency departments.

Presently, the Emergency Department's survey cost component per annum is $12 911, excluding GST. This arrangement ensures the LGHED staffing resources are focused on patient clinical care as much as possible. I am advised that patient experience surveys have been undertaken by Insync in 2019 and 2020.

I am advised that if Emergency Department staff were required to attend to the distribution, collection, correlation and reporting of ED surveys, it is estimated it would cost approximately $30 000 to $40 000.

Launceston General Hospital - Survey - Queensland Consulting Firm

Supplementary Question

Ms ARMITAGE question to LEADER of the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Mrs HISCUTT

[2.38 p.m.]

I am sorry to have to stand again, but that last comment - I do not think the question has been fully answered, which means that I will, unfortunately, have to ask another follow-up question.

To insinuate that I am expecting Emergency Department staff to do the survey themselves, when I mentioned last time that it was insulting, is again an insult - please take back to the minister that I would not expect the department to do its own survey.

My main question was, and my follow-up question will be, whether a Tasmanian firm - basically your answer, and it is a shame we do not have the answers given to us when you are actually reading them out, which would be very useful, to actually know what was said.

The fact that Insync is capable of doing it - I am sure many Tasmanian firms are capable of doing it as well. I will do some follow-up questions about the tender process.

Mrs Hiscutt - Can I just assure the member that I will take a copy of that Hansard to make sure the minister gets it?