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Corrupt conduct and public interest disclosures

Metro South Health has a commitment to ensuring the highest level of ethics in our organisation. As such, we support disclosures of wrongdoing.

If you are a member of the public and you have been or are currently a patient or client at one of Metro South Health's facilities or clinics, and you believe a member of our staff has committed a crime or has committed what you reasonably suspect to be corrupt conduct, then you can report this conduct and have it investigated.

Reporting corrupt conduct

Corrupt conduct is defined under section 15(1) and 15(2) of the Crime and Corruption Act 2001

Under section 15(1) of the Crime and Corruption Act 2001, corrupt conduct is conduct which:

  • adversely affects, or could adversely affect, directly or indirectly, the performance of functions or the exercise of powers of a unit of administration or a person holding an appointment; and
  • is not honest or impartial; or involves a breach of trust (knowingly or recklessly); or involves a misuse of information; and
  • would, if proved, be a criminal offence or a disciplinary breach providing reasonable grounds for termination of the person’s employment.

All limbs of the definition, without exclusion, must be met to raise a reasonable suspicion of corrupt conduct.
Under section 15(2) of the Crime and Corruption Act 2001, corrupt conduct is conduct which:

  • Means the conduct of a person, regardless of whether they hold or held an appointment that impairs or could impair public confidence in public administration; and
  • Involves, or could involve, collusive tendering; fraud relating to an application for a licence, permit or other authority; dishonestly obtaining (or helping someone to dishonestly obtain) a benefit of State funds; evading a State tax; fraudulently obtaining or retaining an appointment; and
  • would, if proved, be a criminal offence or a disciplinary breach providing reasonable grounds for termination of the person’s employment.

Examples of corrupt conduct include, but are not limited to:

  • fraud or theft
  • unauthorised access and or disclosure of confidential or patient information
  • misuse of authority for personal gain
  • unlawful assault in the workplace of patients or other staff
  • reprisal action against whistleblowers (public interest disclosures)
  • performing official duties while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs
  • deliberate or reckless conduct that results in patient harm.

Public interest disclosures

Public interest disclosures mean the disclosure of information specified in the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2010 (sections 12 and 13) and made to an appropriate public sector entity that has the responsibility or power to take appropriate action about the information disclosed or to provide an appropriate remedy.

Procedure

Examples of public interest disclosures

Any person (including members of the public) can make a disclosure about:

  • a substantial and specific danger to the health or safety of a person with a disability
  • a substantial and specific danger to the environment
  • the conduct of another person that could, if proven, be a reprisal.

Employees of Metro South health (or other public sector agencies) can make a disclosure about:

  • suspected corrupt conduct, as defined in the Crime and Corruption Act 2001
  • maladministration that adversely affects a person’s interests in a substantial and specific way
  • a substantial misuse of public resources
  • a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety.

How to report corrupt conduct or make a public interest disclosure

The preferred method to make your complaint is in writing with sufficient information and particularisation of incidents to assess and deal with the complaint. Metro South Health will also deal with anonymous complaints and fraud reports, however, there needs to be sufficient information about the incident to assess and deal with the complaint or report.

You can make your complaint or report to:

  • Your manager, supervisor or Human Resources representative (if you are a staff member)
  • Director, Ethical Standards Unit, Metro South Health
  • The Health Service Chief Executive, Metro South Health 
    • Post: PO Box 4043, Eight Mile Plains QLD 4113

Complaints can also be made externally to:

Metro South Health's commitment

Metro South Health encourages any person who considers that they have witnessed wrongdoing to come forward and make a disclosure.  We aspire to an organisational climate where members of the public and staff feel confident and comfortable about making a disclosure of wrongdoing.

We believe that we have an obligation to deal with wrongdoing in Metro South Health.  Every employee has an ethical responsibility to disclose wrongdoing and any disclosure is in accordance with Metro South Health's ethical culture and in particular, acting with integrity.  Section 9 of the Public Sector Ethics Act 1994 places an obligation on all Metro South Health employees to disclose fraud, corruption and maladministration.  Further to this, the obligation to report wrongdoing is reflected in Principle 1 of the Queensland Public Service Code of Conduct.  Metro South Health believes staff who come forward with disclosures of wrongdoing are acting as exemplary organisational citizens by assisting us in promoting openness, accountability and good management.

Last updated 27 April 2021
Last reviewed 27 April 2021