Page 990 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 29 March 2011
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annual report must be tabled by the Minister for Health in the ACT Legislative Assembly. The ACT LHN council must provide a report to the Minister for Health every financial year on the state of the local hospital network and in the report provide any recommendations relating to the improvement of health services by the local hospital network that the ACT LHN council considers necessary. This amendment will ensure that the council’s annual report is available to everyone, requiring that it be tabled in the Assembly within six sitting days after the day the report is presented to the Minister for Health.
MR HANSON (Molonglo) (5.02): We will be supporting this government amendment. As the minister said, it clarifies that an annual report is to be provided to the Assembly. I think that the residents of the ACT are entitled to receive information on the operations and recommendations of the local hospital network council. This amendment clarifies the ambiguous provision in the bill and provides certainty that the public will have access to an annual report.
MS BRESNAN (Brindabella) (5.02): The Greens will be supporting this amendment, obviously. As Ms Gallagher said, when I said “oversight” I should have actually said that there was not clarity in there about it being publicly reported. So it is good that it makes it clear that it will be reported publicly so that we do see the outcomes and whatever recommendations might come forth from the council. I think it is a positive step.
Amendment agreed to.
MS GALLAGHER (Molonglo—Deputy Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Health and Minister for Industrial Relations) (5.03), by leave: I move amendments Nos 2 and 3 circulated in my name together [see schedule 1 at page 1003].
The second and third amendments relate to the membership of the local hospital network council. These amendments clarify the skill mix and expertise to be included in the council. They must include one person who is a medical practitioner with at least five years clinical experience as well as one person who has expertise in clinical matters. This person may also be a medical practitioner or a nurse, allied health professional or other clinician. This will serve to strengthen the clinical input into the activities of the local hospital network council.
Other members would have health service management experience, cross-membership with the local primary healthcare organisation, academic teaching and research experience in the field of health services, financial management experience, public consultation experience and a member who is experienced in the provision of care or is a consumer of health services.
MR HANSON (Molonglo) (5.05): We support the government’s amendments to the composition of the local hospital network council. As I foreshadowed earlier, we wish to avoid a situation of a council that could be formed without a doctor involved but we also support the view that there is a diverse range of clinical expertise in the health community and this expertise should be utilised on the council. The government’s amendments will provide the ability for that to occur.
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