WorkCover
Aiv PUGLIELLI (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (18:46): (1830) My adjournment matter this evening is to the Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC, and the action I seek is that the WorkCover system be significantly reformed to stop harming the injured workers that it is supposed to support. Today I have been asked to share Katrina’s story at her request. Katrina has dedicated her life to nursing, caring for others with compassion and resilience. But when she was physically injured on duty, the system that should have protected her became an unforgiving predator. Since February 2024 her income has been cut off, and despite urgent medical needs, critical treatment has been denied without explanation. In January 2024 Katrina’s GP provided clear evidence of a worsening medical condition, yet the agent refused to acknowledge this or approve appropriate care. Katrina’s repeated efforts to have her treatment needs met and her claim fairly assessed have been met with bureaucratic delays and cold indifference, a systemic failure that amounts to active abandonment. Katrina took her case to the Workplace Injury Commission, but instead of a timely resolution, the WIC has been slow to act. For over 15 months her claim has been in limbo. The Workplace Injury Commission recently indicated the matter will go to a medical panel, yet this should have occurred a year ago. The ongoing debate and the delays have caused Katrina further distress and uncertainty.
This story highlights a catastrophic lack of systems in place to support injured workers. While the nursing workforce is crying out for more staff and more support, what have we done to a nurse like Katrina? The right support and early interventions would have kept her at work, preserving her income, her dignity and her wellbeing. Instead the system has failed her. It has pushed her into financial hardship and emotional isolation. Katrina was not just left behind; she was deliberately broken down. Her injury, sustained while caring for others, should have been met with respect and genuine support. The treatment she has had to endure has resulted in further psychological injury. Her experience is a call to action. We must restore humanity, fairness and effective care in workers compensation, ensuring injured workers receive the respect and the support that they deserve.