The opposition has called on the Minister for Ageing, Justine Elliot to clarify her comments on the leaked report from the Office Aged Care Quality and Compliance.
The Shadow Minister for Ageing, Margaret May said in a statement that the report has left the aged care industry reeling.
“The media coverage of that report was scathing and newspapers carried headlines that screamed “aged care abuse triples”, “battered image of aged care”, “abuse in nursing homes soars,” said Mrs May.
“Rather than setting the record straight immediately, the Minister bought into the headlines – a glaring failure on her part.”
The Shadow Minister has asked Mrs Elliot to explain why the report has not been made available on the department’s website and explain Government actions over the matter.
“I call on the Minister to explain why the report was leaked to the media and why weeks after the leaking of the report, does the sector still not have a copy?” questioned Mrs May.
“Why did the Minister not alert the Australian public (particularly in light of the sensationalist headlines) to the fact that there was a difference in reporting standards between current and previous reports?”
The Shadow Minister believes that Ms Elliot’s actions are creating a mood of anxiety within the aged care sector.
“Previously providers were not compelled to report breaches, now providers are compelled to. Unless readers are alerted to this, it is impossible to make a meaningful comparison between the leaked report and the previous report.” Said Mrs May.