Allegations of stalking, blackmail, sharing personal information without consent and assault were not investigated by the health network that runs South Australia's biggest hospitals because the probe was "one-dimensional in approach", the state's anti-corruption watchdog has found.
In a report tabled in state parliament, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) found the presence of bullying and harassment within the Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN) "underpins a reluctance" by staff to report workplace issues.
The CALHN employs more than 18,000 staff across the Royal Adelaide and Queen Elizabeth hospitals and other significant mental health and rehabilitation centres.
"The commission was provided with information that suggests management does not consistently encourage the reporting of inappropriate behaviour, with some employees suggesting reporting is even discouraged to avoid reprisals from those with power," ICAC Deputy Commissioner Paul Alsbury found.
Deputy Commissioner Alsbury found other significant issues, including inconsistent punishments for similar behaviour, a lack of procedural fairness during investigations and a lack of faith from staff in the complaints process.
More than 100 misconduct matters were in progress historically, with up to a three-year backlog.
Now, the network has 16 in progress with an average processing time of six months.
Mr Alsbury made 25 recommendations to improve CALHN's handling of complaints, investigations and sanctions processes.
The chief executives of SA Health and CALHN have accepted all recommendations made.
File reviews reveal issues
Complaints and investigation files dating back to 2019 were reviewed for the report, which found sanctions stemming from investigations varied widely.
"This variation could be as much as issuing a warning for one employee, while terminating the employment of another where the offending was the same but subject to separate investigations," the report stated.
"Often, the basis for the decision made was not recorded to explain the different treatment."
Six matters detailed allegations of staff taking medication but only one was terminated – an employee who took two prescriptions and presented them to a pharmacy without authority to do so.
"The accused employee showed significant remorse for their conduct, and explained that they had developed a dependency on medication following previous injuries," the report said.
"In comparison, another file involved an employee who repeatedly took medication for personal use, and admitted that they would wait for other employees to forget to log out of medication towers and then take medication which was assigned against the colleague's account.
"That accused employee also showed remorse, and explained that they had developed a dependency on medication following previous injuries. That employee received a warning."
Another employee who took fraudulent prescriptions to a pharmacy "did not admit the conduct, nor cooperate with the process" before resigning.
CALHN management told the accused had they not resigned they would have been fired.
Two employees were also investigated for physically restraining patients "touching the neck and throat region".
"Both employees were responding to signs of aggression from a patient, although it appears clear that the risk of aggression in the first matter was greater than in the second matter," the report said.
"Despite that, the first employee was dismissed and the second was issued with a warning."
Another staff member was alleged to have accessed someone's health record without consent.
A subsequent interview saw the complainant provide "evidence that the accused employee … had engaged in conduct that was objectively very serious, including providing sensitive information to colleagues, stalking, blackmail over compromising photos, and assault".
"Despite the provision of this evidence, the investigation and disciplinary process was not adjusted to cover these additional issues," Mr Alsbury found.
The accused employee was issued a written warning over accessing the health records.
A different employee was accused of accessing the health information of a colleague and then sharing it with another staff member.
The person boasted about their level of access to the records and described the alleged victim as "naughty" but management found the allegations were not substantiated.
Health bosses accept recommendations
CALHN chief executive Lesley Dwyer said in a statement that "there is no tolerance for bullying or harassment at CALHN" and work to improve workplace culture and complaints had already begun.
In a statement, chief executive of SA Health, Dr Robyn Lawrence, agreed.
"We accept all the recommendations in the report and will work closely with the Office of the Commissioner for the Public Sector and the Central Adelaide Local Health Network to address the findings," Dr Lawrence said.
