Page 4477 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 23 November 2005
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are intelligently pursued. Thus I commend it to the Assembly and I seek leave to move an amendment to my motion:
Leave granted.
DR FOSKEY: I move:
Omit paragraph (4), substitute:
(4) calls on the ACT government to ensure recommended strategies are sufficiently supported and scrutinised.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Minister for Health and Minister for Planning) (10.46): I welcome the opportunity to speak on the progress being made within the alcohol and drug program since the release of the final report from the review of clinical governance. As many members of the Assembly may remember, four former employees of the alcohol and drug program raised concerns through Ms Kerrie Tucker when she was a member of the Assembly. As a consequence, the department, ACT Health, commissioned three separate external reviews to investigate these concerns.
Firstly, there was a probity review, which was conducted by Acumen Alliance and which was tabled in the Assembly on 24 August last year. A workplace environment review was conducted by Katherine McPherson, an expert in human resources. The review recommendations and the government’s response were sent to all MLAs on 17 December last year. A review of clinical governance was conducted that included interviews and discussions with consumer and family groups, other services and involved providers, such as community pharmacists. This final report and the response by the department were tabled in the Assembly in June this year.
The government acknowledges the contribution of complainants in this matter, thanks them for raising their concerns and also acknowledges the efforts of all staff involved in the alcohol and drug program in seeking to work to address issues raised as part of these investigations.
The Chief Executive of ACT Health has met with the complainants to provide them with feedback in relation to both the probity review and the workplace environment review. I would like to mention that at this stage it is not the government’s intention to table in the Assembly further reports on the implementation of the recommendations of the three separate reviews. The issue of the ongoing implementation of the recommendations is being addressed within the broader context of the ACT alcohol and other drug strategy 2004-08. An annual progress report on the implementation of the strategy will be tabled in the Assembly. This is consistent with the approach already taken by the government in relation to other areas, such as mental health.
As members of the Assembly already know, a progress report on the implementation of the ACT mental health strategy and action plan is tabled annually in the Assembly and the government will undertake a similar approach in the alcohol and drug area. In addition, under the guidance of a new program director, an alcohol and drug program business plan for the 2005-06 year has been developed with extensive involvement of staff and managers. It incorporates the recommendations from all three reviews, with
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