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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 2 Hansard (26 February) . . Page.. 465 ..

MRS CARNELL: I do not know that it was quite 10 minutes, but it was a little bit of notice.

Mr Moore: Eight minutes.

MRS CARNELL: Yes, maybe. The report that Mr Moore is talking about, "Palliative Care in Canberra", was commissioned, shall we say, by the ACT Hospice and Palliative Care Society and not directly by the ACT Government. It was funded, I think, under the Medicare incentive payments. It was actually funded by the Federal Government as well. The report that we are talking about was actually copyrighted to the ACT Hospice and Palliative Care Society in 1996. I understand, for Mr Moore's benefit, that the Hospice and Palliative Care Society have decided not to release the document involved.

The basis of this document, as I understand it, was to identify gaps and barriers in service delivery - and I will just run through the things that it was for - to identify and improve networks between agencies and individuals providing palliative care services, other appropriate agencies and consumers; to promote palliative care services to potential clients and providers who are not currently utilising mainstream services; and to develop reference material for users and providers of palliative care services. Mr Speaker, the basis of the report was, basically, to commission work to provide or improve a seamless palliative care service for the whole of the ACT.

I understand that the ACT Hospice and Palliative Care Society have decided that the report that was forthcoming would not achieve that end. In fact, I understand their view is that it could actually produce some very real problems in the palliative care area. I do understand, though, Mr Speaker, that areas of the report will be used in the improvement of palliative care services. I think it is a very appropriate day for palliative care services to be questioned in this place. Palliative care services in the ACT are obviously very important. I believe our palliative care services are very good but can definitely be improved. We will certainly be working with the ACT Hospice and Palliative Care Society to achieve that seamlessness of service, that holistic approach to palliative care that I am sure we all support. In fact, I know everybody in this place supports improved palliative care for Canberra. This report, though, does have some areas that the ACT Palliative Care Society have real problems with. It is their report, and it is certainly not up to me to release a report that is copyrighted to another association.

The last part of Mr Moore's question was with regard to a director of palliative care. A medical director has been appointed at the hospice, and that is Dr Frank Long. What has not happened is that he is not the director of palliative care for the whole of the palliative care services across the ACT. The reason, Mr Speaker, is that, after more than one effort of advertising the position, an appropriate person who can look after the whole of palliative care, who has the appropriate academic and medical qualifications, at this stage has not been found; but efforts will continue to be made. On the basis of not finding somebody who was appropriate for the whole palliative care job, I understand Dr Frank Long was appointed as medical director at the hospice to fill that position.

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