Page 6200 - Week 19 - Tuesday, 17 December 1991
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professionals whose focus would be on prevention, health maintenance, community support and health promotion, as well as the areas covering geriatric care, rehabilitation and community support, which I believe we all recognise as essential to meet the needs of Canberra's rapidly ageing population.
In this context this Government has agreed to support the development of a clinical school in the ACT. In order to take the development of this school to the next stage, I am proposing to establish a negotiating team to prepare an agreement between the University of Sydney and the ACT Board of Health clearly stating the commitments by both parties. This agreement will cover the proposed academic structure, including an emphasis on community health and aged care, as well as the financial arrangements which will need to be put in place. I will also be asking the team to clarify the longer-term implications, especially with respect to cost, given that over time there is likely to be an inevitable growth in demand.
The team will also need to negotiate agreements about relationships with the clinical school, with the Australian National University, in particular with the John Curtin School and the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, and with the University of Canberra. This would involve a need to assess the student support facilities required and those facilities for research which will be needed in an ongoing sense.
The team will also be responsible for exploring all the potential avenues of funding for the clinical school project and those funds which may be made available from the business sector. I have therefore asked Mr Jim Service to chair this team, which will also comprise Ms Gillian Biscoe, the Chief Executive of the Board of Health; Dr Richard Madden, ACT Treasury; Professor Ralph Doherty, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Queensland University; and Dr Colin Adrian of the Chief Minister's Department.
Finally, there is a very significant development in medical education in Australia on the horizon associated with the University of Sydney proposal which I believe provides an exceptional opportunity for Canberra to be at the forefront of a fundamental change in medical education in Australia. The University of Sydney has agreed in principle to exploring the notion of developing a four-year postgraduate course in medical training to replace the current undergraduate course. This postgraduate course would accept applicants from a very wide range of undergraduate courses in a variety of disciplines across different universities in Australia. Essentially, in response to Professor Doherty's national report, this proposal will provide an ability to recruit mature age students who will bring quite new approaches to their learning about medical and clinical issues.
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