Oakden report finds nursing home staff mismanagement, SA ministers cleared

READ MORE

An inquiry into Adelaide’s failed Oakden nursing home has made findings of maladministration against five people but cleared former health minister Jack Snelling and former mental health minister Leesa Vlahos.

Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Bruce Lander’s inquiry followed a report from South Australia’s chief psychiatrist which revealed failures in clinical governance at Oakden as well as incidents of rough handling of patients, excessive use of restraints and a high level of injuries.

“Every South Australian should feel outraged at what happened at the Oakden facility,” Mr Lander said in a statement after releasing his report on Wednesday.

“The consumers were poorly cared for, forgotten and ignored. The facility itself was grossly substandard.”

Mr Lander said he had made findings of maladministration against four Oakden staff members and one departmental official as well as the public authority responsible for the facility.

“Those findings do not, however, tell the entire story of responsibility for what went wrong at the Oakden facility,” he said.

“Senior people, including some ministers and chief executive who were responsible by virtue of their office for the delivery of care and services to the consumers should have known what was going on but did not.

“I find this astonishing.”

Those whose conduct amounted to maladministration included Oakden nursing director Kerim Skelton, service manager Julie Harrison, doctor Russell Draper and nurse Merrilyn Penery.

Also named was health department official Arthur Moutakis.

The Oakden facility was closed last year.