The head of the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) says the organisation has failed its clients in several ways, leaving struggling ex-military personnel waiting months, even years, for help.
The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide finished its hearings in Canberra yesterday by questioning the department's secretary, Liz Cosson.
Ms Cosson admitted under questioning that DVA's actions were not true to its mission statement.
That statement says DVA supports "those who have served in defence of our nation and their families".
Ms Cotton, who is a retired army major-general, conceded that many veterans in need of care were languishing on blown-out wait lists for assistance.
The commission's senior counsel assisting, Peter Gray QC, asked the secretary whether she agreed that the mission statement was "an implied promise that, if people approach DVA, there'll be a timely response and people will be kept informed".
Ms Cosson: That's the intent.
Mr Gray: And that intent isn't being met at the moment, is it?
Ms Cosson: No it's not.
Under further questioning from Mr Gray, Ms Cosson also conceded that her department's objectives did not require it to evaluate how effectively it was caring for veterans' mental well-being.
Mr Gray: And they [objectives] don't refer to suicide prevention either?
Ms Cosson: No.
Mr Gray also asked about the department's performance in meeting its 90-day target for processing veterans' claims, suggesting they were "not being met at the moment by a long margin".
"That's correct," the secretary responded.
Earlier this year, department executives told the royal commission it had 56,663 claims awaiting processing as of June 30, 2021 — more than double the number from two years earlier.
DVA's workforce has been shrinking for most of the past two decades, dropping from 2,655 staff in 2005 to 1,772 last year.
Department 'improving its performance'
DVA's evidence to the royal commission has been widely anticipated, as earlier hearings had involved veterans accusing the department of mishandling their claims.
Ben Hofmann, an advocate with the Veterans' Support Centre, told the commission on Tuesday that he had been unable to have his own GP assess his mental health.
Mr Hofmann said he had only a brief session with a DVA-appointed psychiatrist and the resulting report — which he says was incomplete — found his condition did not warrant a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis.
"I'd used a DVA-appointed psychiatrist [and had a] very short meeting with him," he said.
"A lot of stuff wasn't reflected in the report, so my PTSD wasn't accepted or didn't meet the threshold."
During her evidence yesterday, Ms Cosson promised to improve her department's performance, saying it was working with the Australian Defence Force to better share medical records that might help identify former military personnel who were struggling to adjust to civilian life.
She also said the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has provided the DVA with useful insights into the complex nature of veteran suicides, which would assist the department's work.
The royal commission, which was established nine months ago, will release an interim report in August.
