Peterborough Special School Nursing Facilities

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Speakers - Harrison Mr Robert; Aquilina Mr John
Business - Private Members Statements

PETERBOROUGH SPECIAL SCHOOL NURSING FACILITIES

Mr HARRISON (Kiama) [6.06]: I wish to bring to the attention of the House my concerns about a problem that exists within the Peterborough special school in the electorate of Kiama. At this time a critical point has been reached in relation to the administering of invasive procedures, including urinary catheterisation, the giving of injections such as insulin and the emptying and changing of colostomy bags. Currently parents of young people attending the Peterborough school are caught up in a ban by members of the Teachers Federation on performing these procedures and a more recent ban by the Public Service Association on teachers' aides performing those duties. It is argued, and it is hard to dispute the argument, that the procedures involved are medical procedures and should be carried out by properly trained nurses.

On 22 August I attended a meeting with parents and teachers who advised that such procedures were being carried out temporarily by district nurses but that this arrangement could not be confirmed as being permanent. I was told by the principal of the school that the arrangement operated on a weekly basis and that the parents and teachers did not know from one Friday to the next whether the nurses would be available to carry out the service the following week. On that occasion I made contact with Mr Ian Southwell of the Illawarra Area Health Service, who gave an undertaking that the existing arrangement with the district nurses would be kept in place until the Parliament resumed and I had an opportunity to raise the subject with the relevant Ministers.

Obviously, all honourable members agree that young people affected by disabilities of one sort or another are entitled to attend school where they are given the best possible education so that they will have the best possible chance in life. If they are doubly handicapped by a medical problem necessitating daily injections or catheterisation, this must also be recognised as a right. I am advised that a similar problem is beginning to occur within the electorate of my colleague the honourable member for Wollongong at the Para Meadows special school. It would appear that the problem could be arising in a number of similar institutions around the State.

Ideally, nurses should be employed at all special schools to attend to such matters as catheterisation, tube feeding, tube suction, medication including insulin injections and day-to-day first aid procedures, and to assist in other therapy areas. This situation should be addressed in the medium term, not only at the Peterborough school but possibly at Para Meadows and other similar institutions around the State. In the short term, however, I request that the Minister for Education and Training urgently liaise with the Minister for Health to ensure that district nurses continue to provide necessary assistance to schoolchildren affected by the need for daily
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treatment of one sort or another. At present two young people at the Peterborough school are in need of help, one who requires urinary catheterisation once a day and one who requires insulin injections. I am advised that the two procedures can be coordinated to occur at the same time and take something like 10 to 15 minutes to complete.

I have spoken to my colleague the honourable member for Wollongong about this matter and we agreed to express our concerns jointly and to call for urgent remedial action. I believe the needs and, indeed, the rights of young people who are profoundly disadvantaged by intellectual disability cannot be sufficiently stressed. As a society we have a responsibility to provide them with the best chance in life by teaching them as much about education and living skills as possible. It should also be stressed that young people with the added disability of a medical problem on top of everything else are entitled to expect that treatment will be available for them at school as a right. As I said earlier, ideally nurses should be available on a permanent basis to ensure that if there are excursions and so on the young people who require medical attention during the day have every opportunity to receive that attention and are not deprived of the opportunity to go on an excursion. However, in the short term those procedures should be carried out by district nurses.

Mr AQUILINA (Riverstone - Minister for Education and Training, and Minister Assisting the Premier on Youth Affairs) [6.11]: I have listened intently to the concerns raised by my friend the honourable member for Kiama, who is a most compassionate person and who feels very strongly about these issues. I note that he also raised the concerns of our colleague the honourable member for Wollongong. Earlier today the honourable member for Kiama was kind enough to alert me to the fact that he proposed to raise this issue and I endeavoured to obtain a specific response for him. I have been concerned about this matter for more than six months and there have been ongoing discussions in relation to the issue.

The Department of School Education is aware of the need for support for students with disabilities who are enrolled in government schools and who require health care procedures. The department has had discussions on the issue with the New South Wales Department of Health, the Public Service Association and the Nurses Association. Those discussions will continue and there will be subsequent discussions with area health services. A joint statement on the provision of support at school for students requiring health care procedures is currently being developed and preliminary drafts are already available. Discussions have also taken place with the New South Wales Ambulance Association on the provision of training for special category teachers' aides in relation to a range of health care procedures in schools. Management rather than invasive procedures is regarded as the key element of this training.

I am aware that every effort is being made to ensure the continuation of effective procedures to support the health care needs of students with disabilities in New South Wales government schools, including those matters raised by the honourable member for Kiama, and to provide appropriate training for special category teachers' aides. It is expected that these issues will be resolved within the next few weeks and that training courses will commence shortly thereafter. I give an undertaking to the honourable member for Kiama that the special arrangements with district nurses will continue so that they can continue the work that is currently being carried out.

Private members' statements noted.

[Mr Acting-Speaker (Mr Mills) left the chair at 6.13 p.m. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m.]

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