The inquiry examining the transition and operation of services at Fiona Stanley Hospital (FSH) was announced in April after problems with sterilisation services and hospital systems were identified, raising concerns about the level of service and treatment of patients.
HSU secretary Dan Hill told the inquiry, which is made up of two Labor MPs and three Liberal MPs, that nearly a year after FSH opened, major problems with IT and communications systems were yet to be resolved.
He said a mobile phone black spot meant, in some cases, phone calls between hospital staff were not connecting at all and the lack of system integration across departments was putting patients welfare at risk.
The union also raised concerns about the service provided by allied health professionals, such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists and social workers.
Mr Hill said the current management structure was complex, had a lack of clinical supervision and sometimes saw staff being managed by someone from a different profession.
FSH acting executive director Paul Mark said the complexity of commissioning a new tertiary hospital had required a period of bedding down.
“Many of the IT and communications issues raised today by the HSU have been fixed,” he said.
“There is ongoing work to resolve any continuing issues but significant progress on IT systems has been made in the nine months since the hospital opened.
“We are confident that modern health management structure and practices at Fiona Stanley Hospital are delivering the best care possible to our patients.”
The inquiry is continuing with the committee expected to make recommendations to Parliament.