Page 1677 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 9 May 2018
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ACT Health—proposed organisational changes
MR PARTON: My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. Minister, on 19 April 2018 the media reported comments by Dr Stephen Robson of the AMA regarding your planned restructure of the Health Directorate. Dr Robson said:
My concern at the moment is it’s not well understood. The nurses, doctors, everyone needs to understand who they are working for.
Certainly with director general leaving suddenly and unexpectedly it engenders concern with everyone.
Minister, why have you failed to explain the proposed restructure to doctors, nurses and other stakeholders?
MS FITZHARRIS: As I indicated on a number of occasions yesterday, I attended ACT Health last week with hundreds of members of ACT Health staff present. I discussed with them a range of issues. One of the most important was indeed the separation of ACT Health. I also had a very constructive meeting last week with the Australian Medical Association and continued that discussion with them last week.
MR PARTON: Minister, why did the former director-general of Health leave suddenly and unexpectedly?
MS FITZHARRIS: I thank Mr Parton for the supplementary question. As I said at the time and have subsequently said, she decided to pursue other options.
MRS DUNNE: Minister, why did you make the sudden and unexpected decision to restructure the ACT Health Directorate without consulting stakeholders?
MS FITZHARRIS: I have spent significant time, since coming into the position of Minister for Health and Wellbeing, consulting a range of stakeholders on a range of matters, including the structure and governance of ACT Health. I indicated when I met with hundreds of staff last week that they would have a very good opportunity to contribute to the design of the two new organisations. There will be a very comprehensive consultation approach with staff. That is very important. I made that point very clearly to staff directly last week, with every stakeholder I have met. I made it very clear yesterday.
What I indicated to them was that I was not going to put to staff a final view on what those organisations should look like, precisely because I wanted to include them in the process of that work in the lead-up to the beginning of the two new organisations on 1 October this year.
Women—government support
MS CODY: My question is to the Minister for Women. Minister, can you please update the Assembly on the latest government initiatives to further support women’s participation and safety in the ACT?
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