Page 4862 - Week 16 - Thursday, 29 November 1990
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In the ACT, I am proposing that the primary objectives of the Board of Health will be: to promote, protect and improve the health of the residents of the ACT; to achieve and maintain adequate standards of care and services; to ensure the efficient and effective use of resources in the provision of health services; to ensure the equitable provision of health services; to ensure that health services are readily accessible; to improve community awareness and understanding of health issues; and to contribute to and promote the development of a healthy environment.
The functions of the board, in accordance with its primary objectives, are: to provide health services for the residents of the ACT and, as appropriate, for residents of the surrounding region; to manage health services and health facilities under its control; to provide for the planning and evaluation of health services, including services provided by the public and non-government sectors; to provide for the appropriate training and education of persons providing health services; to make available to the public reports, information and advice concerning the health of the community and the health services available.
The Board of Health will, within the broad policy directions of the Government, have the full executive powers and independence necessary to manage services effectively for the health of residents of the ACT and the surrounding region, and to plan for the development of those services. The board will be accountable to the Government in pursuit of its objectives and the exercise of those functions.
I will be outlining the very high standards of accountability in a specific direction to the board immediately following its establishment. This will be most appropriately done by way of direction, rather than legislation, so that the board and the Government can respond positively and quickly to changing circumstances as they arise. I expect that the direction will cover matters such as general accountability, reporting requirements including a corporate plan, program budgeting and evaluation of services. The board will have up to 11 members, including the chair. I have already announced the membership of the board, which comprises members of the community with strong managerial and health related experience.
In order to ensure that there are no barriers to the establishment of effective quality assurance and peer review processes, the Bill also includes a power for the board to have approved committees, which will have immunities with respect to evidentiary material and the protection of members. These committees will be established by gazettal. As well, because the area of quality assurance has been the main difficulty the hospitals have faced in achieving accreditation, all medical and other staff will be required to participate reasonably in these processes.
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