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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 9 Hansard (28 August) . . Page.. 2720 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

evidence-based medicine. The report has been referred to the Australian Health Ministers Advisory Council to review the national implications and the implementation and funding strategy. Further public comment will be sought from all stakeholders before the recommendations of the report are endorsed and implemented.

The national health policy for children and young people was released by Australian Health Ministers in June 1995. The national health plan for young Australians has been endorsed by Health Ministers as the national implementation plan for this policy. The plan includes a framework for addressing emerging needs and priorities by greater collaboration, by addressing children's and young people's increasing vulnerability in the complex and rapidly changing world of the 1990s, and by ensuring that children and young people enjoy good health. The ACT is currently in the final stages of developing its implementation plan of this policy, and will be one of the first jurisdictions to do so. The plan identifies priority areas as coordination and collaboration, access to an appropriate and balanced range of services which are customer focused and address inequities, healthy supportive environments, and work force training.

The ACT implementation plan integrates existing government initiatives, such as health for young people, ACT policy and strategic directions, which is under development at this stage; early intervention policy for children 0 to 6, which has been released; the creation of the Children's, Youth and Family Services Bureau in the Department of Education and Training; the establishment of an identified program area in ACT Community Care for children's and family health services; and the progressive implementation of mandatory reporting of child abuse.

At the meeting Ministers also noted the forthcoming introduction of the Commonwealth Government's private health insurance initiative and the current second 2 per cent review. It also acknowledged the review of private health insurance legislation being undertaken by a Senate committee. Ministers discussed further strategies towards private sector management of public hospitals and public hospital-private hospital co-location. This is particularly relevant to the ACT, where Calvary Hospital has public-private co-location, and we are examining proposals for a new private hospital in the ACT.

Ministers agreed that there was an urgent need to address the issues of best practice service provision in relation to outpatient services provided by hospitals. As such, there will be a review of the role and funding of outpatient services. A review of these services will aim to improve health outcomes and implement best practice models. The review will examine whether the most appropriate settings for provision of some services is being driven by financial incentives rather than achieving best outcomes for patients. States and Territories have been working with the Commonwealth Government for some years to identify best practice in outpatient provision. The recent ambulatory care reform and pilot project conducted in the ACT was instrumental in identifying some of the concerns. An expert committee will be established and draw on the significant amount of work currently being undertaken, particularly under the ambulatory care reform program. The committee will consist of a range of health professionals and will consult widely with States, Territories, and professional and consumer groups.

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