The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetrics and Gynaecologist (RANZCOG) has issued a scathing report that has found the Canberra Hospital Obstetrics & Gynaecology Department has “not met” five out of six overview standards, including workplace culture, provision of clinical supervision, provision of structured education, teaching and learning and Consultant support for FRANZCOG trainees.

Canberra Liberals Leader Elizabeth Lee said that – in contrast to statements made by the Health Minister, the report clearly showed the Obstetrics and Gynaecology unit at breaking point.

“Trainee doctors are having to perform procedures they are not formally credentialed for, the culture is described as fractious and toxic by employees, and workers are facing severe burnout.”

Ms Lee said the damning training accreditation report stood in stark contrast to statements a fortnight ago at Budget Estimates by the Health Minister and officials, who, when asked about a potential suspension of training accreditation for this unit, maintained there were some “known challenges” but that the “unit is working”.

“Once again, the Minister has not been upfront with Canberrans about the serious failures in our health system. Time and time again we’ve seen this Minister brush these serious failures off as challenges- but Canberrans shouldn’t be taken in by this Government’s spin, Ms Lee said.

“In 2010 and 2014 RANZCOG made similar scathing comments about the Obstetric and Gynaecology unit yet almost 13 years later it would seem that Canberra Hospital has been handed a worse report, despite the government saying it would fix the issues.

“If the challenges have been known then why are serious management, cultural and governance issues continuously noted in these reports? Why has the Labor-Greens government failed to listen to the concerns from frontline health workers and their colleges? And most importantly why have solutions not been implemented?”

“The Labor-Greens government is more interested in obfuscation, grandstanding and accusing others of scaremongering than fixing the ongoing issues in the public health system.”

The report by RANZCOG was prepared by interviewing a mix of trainees, senior doctors and directors in the Canberra Hospital’s Obstetric and Gynaecology Department. RANZCOG granted the Canberra Hospital a provisional six month training accreditation period, the shortest period that the College can provide.