The assembly opposition to the ACT government is calling for an explanation of why a particular type of infection is higher in the territory than elsewhere in Australia.
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Figures released earlier in the year showed that Canberra hospitals had the highest rate of golden staph infections in the country.
The ACT was the only jurisdiction to report a rate of infections higher than the national benchmark, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Golden staph infections ("staph" stands for "staphylococcus", the medical name for the infection) are spread by people touching an infected person or a contaminated surface. Poor personal hygiene and not covering open wounds can be a cause.
Infections caused by golden staph include boils and abscesses on the skin. More serious infections include meningitis, osteomyelitis (infection of the bone) and pneumonia (infection of the lungs).
The ACT's shadow health minister Leanne Castley, has raised concerns about the high rates of golden staph infection in ACT public hospitals.
She said that there were 45 cases of golden staph at Canberra public hospitals in 2022-23, the same number as in 2021-22.
The shadow minister said that the figures she had received were that there were 31 cases at the Canberra Hospital, 13 at the former Calvary Public Hospital and only one case at the University of Canberra Hospital.
"The ACT was the only jurisdiction in Australia which exceeded the national benchmark for golden staph infections - a poor reflection on the Labor-Greens government," Ms Castley said.
"The last two years have seen a 40 per cent increase in golden staph infections in ACT public hospitals - up from 32 cases in 2019-20, to 45 cases in 2021-22 and 2022-23."
The shadow minister said that nearly a third of Canberra Health Services staff had not yet completed their mandatory annual hand hygiene training.
"We know CHS staff are overworked and under a lot of pressure. It is essential that they be given the time to do this training," Ms Castley said.
When the figures emerged earlier in the year, the ACT government didn't question their accuracy but did say that the ACT collected data on a different basis from the way other jurisdictions collected their figures, so meaningful comparisons could not be made.
A Canberra Health Services spokesman said at the time that the wellbeing and safety of staff and consumers was of the highest priority.
"We report and manage all [golden staph] bloodstream infections in Canberra Health Services facilities in line with best practice national guidelines," he said.
Steve Evans
Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues."
Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues."
