Page 5262 - Week 17 - Thursday, 13 December 1990
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medicos. I think, Mr Speaker, that that is an outrageous position for a government to take, particularly when the Government initially approved the drafting of legislation which took a reasonable stance on the participation of medical professionals in quality assurance activities.
I think that the provisions in the Health Services Bill are completely appropriate. They provide for the requirement for doctors to participate. They provide for the requirement for clinical records to be kept. They provide for a punishment if doctors fail to comply with the directions of the board. But most importantly they provide for a review of the board's decisions if doctors feel that they have been badly done by. If that is not a fair process, then I do not know what is. The Minister obviously has been convinced by the doctors that they will do it themselves. On past performance there is no evidence in the Australian Capital Territory that they will do it themselves. In fact, because we are waiting for them to do it themselves, our hospitals do not have the proper accreditation. That is why we cannot afford to wait any longer.
If the Minister had the courage of his convictions - and he tries to convince us that one of his convictions is the implementation of quality assurance programs in our hospital system - he would say, "Okay, we will give the doctors a go. We will give them six months. This legislation will not come into effect for six months, and it will come back to this Assembly for removal once the doctors have implemented a quality assurance program which can be shown to be adequate and proven to provide the circumstances which will lead to our hospitals being properly accredited". They have not done it in the past, Minister. I have not seen any evidence to convince me that they will do it in the future. This legislation is strong, but it was necessary. Now, you have pulled its teeth.
MR MOORE (8.27): Mr Berry, that was an excellent metaphor there - "pulling the teeth of this legislation".
Mr Berry: You started it.
Mr Kaine: I did not think we were talking about a dentistry board.
MR MOORE: That is right; it was my idea in the first place. I am glad the Chief Minister interjected that he did not think we were talking about a dentistry board because, of course, that is exactly what the health board is about. It is about dentistry and - - -
Mr Kaine: No, that is just one of its functions, Michael.
MR MOORE: That is all right. It is about dentistry and it is about broad health issues, and we must not concentrate our thinking down to just hospitals, although this particular issue deals primarily with hospitals.
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