iCare= Hopeless in Two Reports but the Bad Joke Continues

30 April 2021

Two reports on iCare have come out on the same day- how convenient, one lot of publicity rather than two.The report of the Parliamentary Committee was one report, the other was a report by Robert McDougall, a retired Supreme Court judge.The political report looked at the disgraceful evidence given by John Nagle which showed almost no care for the injured workers and an appalling attitude of entitlement in him and his crony staff. iCare had not even known what workers’ Pre-Injury Average Weekly Earnings (PIAWE) were, and had not tried very hard to find out so that they could underpay them and minimise their costs. They relied on computer algorithms rather than staff to manage the claims, only getting staff on the case if there were problems, which there usually were, as the poor patients were having their treatments delayed or denied.
The McDougall report had its terms of reference set by Treasury, who were also the department being investigated, and they also staffed the inquiry. The Treasurer, Dominic Perrottet did not agree to be interviewed by McDougall and got away with this. Is this some sort of bad joke? The McDougall report found incompetence etc, but no actual corruption that anyone could be charged with. As such, the McDougall report was a political success. It took the heat off the Treasurer from November to now, and will result in a bit of publicity, no serious recriminations and the usual promises of future action. John Robertson, an old union hack is the new CEO, so Labor will not criticise iCare now.
My poor patients will be mucked around, be underpaid and have their treatment denied as usual. And Treasurer Perrottet will sail on hoping to be Premier as Gladys falls. What a joke!

www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-30/damning-reports-released-over-nsw-icare/100107076?fbclid=IwAR34I_blTADSxa2OoWxrzOpvgNPZ3KUFmhQmpSFZHd4LSOIVdof0nx8yMGs