Page 173 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 23 February 1994
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Mr Humphries: Madam Speaker, may I rise on the point of order?
MADAM SPEAKER: No. I call Mr Moore.
Mr Humphries: May I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker?
MADAM SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Humphries.
Mr Humphries: Madam Speaker, in respect of your ruling, Mr Berry, yesterday in the Assembly, raised the question of the public-private mix in the ACT. He staunchly defended public health in the Territory, and his position as opposed to private health is very well known and often is shown in this place. Mr Berry's personal status as a privately insured patient, if that is the case, would be of great interest, in the public sense, to Mr Berry's work as the Minister for Health. The question, with respect, should be allowed.
MADAM SPEAKER: Thank you for your point of order, Mr Humphries. I will stick to my ruling.
Medical Services
MR MOORE: My question is also directed to Mr Berry as Minister for Health, and it also concerns medical treatment in the ACT. My question has two parts. First, has any action been taken against doctors who refused to treat critically ill patients during the VMO dispute at the end of last year? Secondly, will the Minister for Health ensure that recommendations made by Magistrate John Burns at the Brian Lankuts inquest are put into practice as soon as possible, thus ensuring that treatment by ACT medical practitioners and subsequent inquiries can be carried out adequately?
MR BERRY: I will answer the last part first. Following the coronial inquest into the death of a patient, the coroner made recommendations which have been examined by senior staff at both Woden Valley and Calvary hospitals. Both hospitals have acted on the recommendations. In particular, the hospitals have confirmed that all health consumers will be informed about alternative specialists and centres appropriate to the consumer's need. In relation to the control of medical records following the death of a patient, the staff of both hospitals have confirmed that they have procedures in place which ensure that the records are immediately placed in the control of the medical administration. This ensures that the records are available intact for staff of the Coroner's Court to collect. I think that addresses those issues.
In relation to the first part of your question, Mr Moore, the ACT Medical Board is in receipt of a complaint which has emanated as a result of the recent VMOs dispute. In relation to treatment that was or was not provided in the course of that dispute, the board has instituted its normal administrative investigation procedures by referring the matter to one of its subcommittees, which they call the complaints subcommittee of the board. After consideration of the available evidence by the complaints subcommittee, recommendations will be made to the board, which will then be in a position to consider whether it is necessary for the matter to progress to a formal inquiry.
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