‘NEWSTARTERS – NEXT ROUND’S ON YOU’ The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 34 #18 • Wednesday, October 9, 2019 • www.echo.net.au
Calls for culture change at Byron Byron Film Festival is getting ready to launch Hospital after alleged fraud Eve Jeffery The new Byron Hospital has been plagued by controversy since its inception – from its location, to the inclusion of the ambulance station and the omission of a surgical unit – the list goes on. In recent weeks The Echo has been contacted by multiple people regarding widely known allegations of fraudulent behaviour and breaches of Health policies and procedures at the hospital. They say the allegations have been investigated, but the staff have not been told which, if any, allegations were substantiated or what disciplinary action if any has been taken. Persons alleged to have behaved improperly do not appear to have received more than a slap on the wrist, and the systems that allowed the potential for fraud to occur have not been tightened.
Payroll discrepencies It is understood that an internal investigation found that certain members of staff, could have behaved either fraudulently and/or in contravention of hospital policy and procedures. This followed reports of discrepancies between hours worked, payroll hours logged and hours people were paid for. Some staff members were put on special leave while an internal investigation took place into their work practices. They were paid for 21 weeks work from February to July while the investigation was in progress. Claims investigated included that two senior staff had not properly checked the accuracy of roster
Byron Shire Council Notices ▶ p8
records; that some records showed certain staff were at work when they weren’t; and that staff cut short workdays, and records were not adjusted accordingly. Senior nursing staff were investigated after a claim that other staff members were taken to breakfast off the premises during work hours while records showed that all involved were working on site at the hospital. An allegation that a senior staff member gave a confidential computer password to a member of the security staff and allowed him access to the roster system to enter false records was also investigated.
Low morale continues While all of this was going on, morale at the hospital was declining daily. ‘Everybody knew what was going on,’ a staff member told The Echo. ‘We all knew what was happening, we were all talking about it in the hallways, but there was nothing anyone could do about it. They had their own little club.’ Since the conclusion of the investigation in July, two staff members have been exonerated; one senior nurse has retired; a security person has moved on to other employment in a position of trust in the community, and one senior nurse has gained employment at another facility. Upon investigation, The Echo could find no reprimands recorded in the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) records. One would think that was the end of it, yet the situation has led ▶ Continued on page 2
A&I mapped out for you ▶ p18
Christian Gibson from Pacifico, BBFF Director J’aimee Skippon-Volke, Chris Gooley also from Pacifico, designer/creator Simone Ellis from LA Studio and Continuum’s Jack Bailey. Photo Jeff Dawson
Time to talk about good mental health Aslan Shand Mental health is vital for everyone yet mental illness is the most likely to go underreported according to St John’s Ambulance NSW CEO Sarah Lance. It is also an increasing issue for young people, with recent data released by headspace for Mental Health Month revealing that nearly two thirds of young Australians (62 per cent) say that the mental health of young people is getting worse. The impact of social media was identified by respondents as one of the leading contributors to mental illness for young people. ‘We know mental health is
Your home is your castle ▶ p20
complex and there are many factors that contribute to a young person’s wellbeing. It’s clear from the research that social media is something young people have strong opinions about and it’s something that appears to be creating more pressure day to day,’ said headspace CEO, Jason Trethowan.
Suicide rate increase According to yourtown and Kids Helpline ABS data shows that 458 children and young people aged under 25 years died by suicide in Australia last year. Twenty-two of them were children aged 14 years or younger. Amongst adolescents aged
The Good Life is sweet ▶ p22
between 15 and 19 years, 40 per cent of all deaths were a result of a young person ending their own life. ‘What is particularly concerning is the rapid increase in the suicide rate for young people. Over the past 10 years the overall suicide rate has increased by approximately 13 per cent, but the suicide rate for young people aged 15 to 19 years has increased by more than 70 per cent,’ they say in their recent press release. ‘Ten years ago, children and teenagers had the lowest suicide rate of any age group, but that’s no longer the case.’ ▶ Continued on page 2
What’s happening? SEVEN ▶ p32
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Art for arts sake ▶ p37