CANBERRA Hospital is on a minimal, provisional six-month training accreditation period, following a review of its Obstetrics & Gynaecology Department, which was found not to have met five out of six overview standards.

They include workplace culture, provision of clinical supervision, provision of structured education, teaching and learning and consultant support for  trainees.

This is despite Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith and her officials, when asked about a potential suspension of training accreditation for this unit, told Budget Estimates last month there were some “known challenges” but that the “unit is working”.

The accreditation review was prepared by the Royal Australian and NZ College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists through  interviewing a mix of trainees, senior doctors and directors in the Canberra Hospital’s Obstetric and Gynaecology Department.

Canberra Liberals Leader Elizabeth Lee said the report clearly shows 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,” she said.

“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.

“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.”