Asylum seeker healthcare firm’s reports included wrong data – internal briefing

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International Health and Medical Services knew some of the details of hundreds of incidents was ‘doubtful’ but included them in reports, briefing notes show

RON hospital on the island of Nauru.

The health contractor for Australia’s detention centre included incorrect data in reports to the immigration department that could have led the company to avoid financial penalties, leaked documents reveal.

In monthly reports to the immigration department, International Health and Medical Services (IHMS) was required by contract to outline the number of incident reports that had been filed outside a certain timeframe. For critical incidents, reports need to be filed within four hours, for other incident reports the deadline is within 24 hours.

If less than 98% of the incident reports have been properly filed, then IHMS is subject to a financial penalty, called an abatement.

However leaked documents show that IHMS included incorrect information when compiling the monthly reports for the immigration department.

When an incident report is filed, health workers must manually input the time that IHMS was advised of the incident, or else it defaults to the time the report is submitted. The difference between the time IHMS was advised, and the time of the report being submitted is used to assess compliance.

Internal IHMS documents show that in January 2013, a significant number of reports were submitted without adjusting the times, meaning the time between advising and reporting was zero.

Guardian Australia is not suggesting that the workers submitting the incident reports were deliberately reporting zero times.

In an internal briefing presentation from January 2013 a business analyst calls the credibility of these reports’ timing “doubtful”, and shows the amount of potentially incorrect time entries to be a significant proportion of the total, with 274 entries at Christmas Island in January alone.

Another presentation dated August 2013 says: “Currently, there are two major data entry errors that distort performance measurements.”

“Error 1: Time 1 is not being manually adjusted. That means Time 1 = Time 2. IHMS’s ability to meet the threshold is largely dependant on these errors.”

In a note, the slide also says that some of these zero times are valid.

Slide from a leaked IHMS presentation titled ‘Briefing – IHMS EXCO – Contractual Performance Management – 5 Aug 13 (Singapore).

Slide from a leaked IHMS presentation titled ‘Briefing – IHMS EXCO – Contractual Performance Management – 5 Aug 13 (Singapore)’.The August presentation is titled “Briefing – IHMS EXCO – Contractual Performance Management – 5 Aug 13 (Singapore).” Singapore is where the ultimate parent company of IHMS, AEA International Holdings, is located.

Elsewhere, a report from February 2013 again mentions the input error, justifying the inclusion:

“In cases where T1=T2, usually this reflects a data entry error. However, some of these entries are valid, so these reports are considered within threshold for performance measurement.”

Slide from a leaked IHMS presentation titled IHMS – Summary Performance – CI Metrics Feb 13.

Slide from a leaked IHMS presentation titled IHMS – Summary Performance – CI Metrics Feb 13. Illustration: SuppliedIn a response a spokeswoman for IHMS said in a statement: “IHMS is aware that fraud is one among many risk factors any business faces. IHMS has in place stringent policies and procedures to identify manage and control fraud. Specifically, IHMS has a fraud and corruption control plan in place with the department.

“IHMS staff undertake fraud and corruption awareness training and at no time has IHMS ever condoned fraudulent behaviour.

“IHMS has at all times complied with internal, external and departmental audits.

“The onshore performance management framework did not come into effect until February 2014. Although the performance management framework is a contractual requirement, IHMS had no motive to misrepresent performance reporting for financial benefit as suggested.”

A spokeswoman from the immigration department said: “The department has and continues to work with its service provider, IHMS, to regularly review its reporting frameworks.

“On 11 December 2014, the department commenced a new contract with IHMS. The new contract includes a strengthened performance management framework which includes both abatements and incentives and focuses on detainee health and service outcomes.

“The department remains committed to ensuring that it has the best available information and expertise to manage the health of those in detention, particularly children.”