Page 3797 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 24 August 2010
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to build a territory-wide maternity service that everybody is happy with—to leverage from.
Canberra Hospital—obstetrics unit review
MR HANSON: My question is to the Minister for Health. Minister, the review of public maternity units in the ACT released on 5 August 2010 provided a report into obstetric services at the Canberra Hospital. Minister, are you aware of any ACT Health staff, you or any of your own staff who recommended or suggested changes to this report that sought to alter or remove any part to the report and, if so, what changes were sought?
MS GALLAGHER: I can certainly say that not me nor my staff in my office had any discussions with anybody about the review other than my normal briefings with ACT Health. I can confirm that there was a draft report that was provided to ACT Health, as there always is in these matters, and that there was discussion between ACT Health and the reviewers, particularly around areas of fact, and those were resolved at that level. I did not see the draft report so I cannot comment any further.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Hanson, a supplementary question?
MR HANSON: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Minister, would it be appropriate for ACT Health to attempt to suggest or recommend changes to this report for any other purpose than factual errors?
MS GALLAGHER: Through any review there is always dialogue between the agency and the reviewer. It is the normal way of progressing—
Mr Hanson: It’s a non-answer. She seems to be avoiding answering this question.
MS GALLAGHER: No; I am not avoiding it.
Mr Hanson: In answer to the first question, you said it was just factual errors. In the supplementary you have changed your story.
MS GALLAGHER: No, I have not. I have said that it is not abnormal for there to be dialogue between parties through the course of a review. That is what I am saying. If there are errors of fact—I understand another area was individuals being named—then I think it was quite appropriate that Health raise those concerns with the reviewers and that the reviewers respond.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Seselja, a supplementary?
MR SESELJA: Minister, will you provide to the Assembly a copy of any changes which were suggested, recommended or made?
MS GALLAGHER: I will look at what I can provide to the Assembly but I am not going to accept, I think, a line that is being put by the opposition or a case that is attempting to be built by the opposition. We have released the report. We have released it in its entirety. It has raised a number of issues with the maternity services
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