The Auditor General has tabled a report in Parliament on the current status of WA Health’s COVID-19 response preparedness.
Auditor General, Caroline Spencer said the report contained the findings from a limited assurance review of key elements of the State’s health system’s preparedness to deal with a surge in COVID-19 cases.
“It provides Parliament and the public with information from WA Health about its key plans and actions that underpin WA’s current level of preparedness, and which have informed the State’s overall response to the pandemic,” Ms Spencer said.
“Reassuringly, WA Health considers that it is now well prepared for a potential outbreak of COVID-19.”
She said the report showed that surge planning and preparations had been made in the three key areas of personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilated bed capacity and staffing.
“In recent times, WA Health has also made good progress on developing outbreak plans and working more closely with various sectors, including aged care,” Ms Spencer said.
“An increased focus on testing and contact tracing capability is also evident in the information presented in this report.”
She said it was important that COVID-19 planning and responses were transparent, proportionate and well informed by the latest global data and research, including the most up-to-date best practice of clinical treatment methods.
“It is important that as a community we manage for the virus as we now know it to be, and not for the virus that was feared in the earliest days of COVID-19’s emergence,” Ms Spencer said.
“Future health responses should recognise our improved health and hygiene capability, and that we are no longer facing critical PPE shortages for our health workers.”
She said the report did not provide assurance as to the effectiveness, efficiency or compliance of the planning and actions undertaken by WA Health.
“These and other aspects of the pandemic response might be the subject of future performance audits,” the Auditor General said
Her 23-page Transparency Report: Current Status of WA Health’s COVID-19 Response Preparedness can be accessed at this PS News link.
The Review team was Aloha Morrissey, Colin Campbell, Leonie Browner, Adam Dias and Justin Fairhead.
