Minister for Aged Care Richard Colbeck acknowledges the regulatory action taken by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission today.
At all times over recent weeks the Government has worked on the advice of the regulatory, medical and infectious diseases experts to support Anglicare in the interests of the Newmarch residents and their families.
This third regulatory action announced by the Commissioner today provides support to Anglicare in the form of additional capacity supporting the oversight of Newmarch.
When Anglicare were unable to maintain adequate staffing the Government stepped in and provided the resources to bring numbers to a level required to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak.
There has been no limit placed on these resources.
Through its first regulatory action additional capacity was provided in the form of a team experienced in managing COVID-19 in an aged care setting.
Unfortunately but for their own wellbeing, key members of that team — who assisted with the response at Dorothy Henderson lodge — will leave this week.
At the second regulatory intervention, additional assistance and resource support for the development of a framework to ensure quality of communication of resident’s circumstances to families was completed. It was then resourced and delivered with a team of registered nurses.
The action by the Commissioner today will require high level co-ordinating support to Anglicare and Newmarch to ensure all elements of the operations on site are clearly co-ordinated and managed.
As in every circumstance, along with representatives of the ACQSC, the PHU, Nepean Health, the NSW Government and all the medical and health professionals who have guided us, all actions we have taken have been in the interests of residents and their families at Newmarch.