Victoria’s second- and third-largest COVID aged care outbreaks will be under the microscope after the Government followed through on its promise to investigate both sites.
The reviews will be conducted by Professor Lyn Gilbert, a Clinical Professor of Medicine (Immunology & Infectious Diseases) at the Westmead Institute for Medical Research who recently gave evidence at the Royal Commission’s COVID hearings; and Adjunct Professor Alan Lilly, the former CEO of BlueCross and Eastern Health and a member of the Australian Aged Care Workforce Strategy Taskforce.
The pair – who previously completed reviews into the COVID-19 outbreaks at Dorothy Henderson Lodge and Newmarch House in Sydney – will be looking at the extent, impact, management and contributory causes of the COVID-19 outbreaks at the two homes, which have been linked to 216 (Epping Gardens) and 208 (St. Basil’s) coronavirus cases respectively, with the final reports due in mid-November.
“The purpose is to derive lessons learned from these outbreaks, in order to inform management of potential future outbreaks and to support Australia’s aged care sector to manage similar situations now and into the future,” the Department says.
