Page 6402 - Week 19 - Tuesday, 17 December 1991
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APPENDIX 10:
( Incorporated in Hansard on 17 December 19911 tat :y:pag :.f ?49 j
TABLING SPEECH
SELECT COMMITTEE ON HOSPITAL BED NUMBERS
MR SPEAKER,
LAST FRIDAY I TABLED THE REPORT OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON HOSPITAL BED NUMBERS AND I WOULD NOW LIKE TO ADD SOME REMARKS CONCERNING THE REPORT.
THE REPORT WAS PREPARED IN A VERY SHORT SPACE OF TIME BUT DESPITE THIS MEMBERS COVERED A GREAT DEAL OF GROUND, BOTH PHYSICALLY AND INTELLECTUALLY, AS A PERUSAL OF THE "ACKNOWLEDGMENTS" SECTION WILL REVEAL. I BELIEVE IT IS TRUE THAT ALL MEMBERS "STARTING POSITION" WAS MODIFIED BY EVIDENCE THAT WE HEARD IN THE COURSE OF THE INQUIRY, SURELY A SIGN OF AN OPEN INQUIRY. ALL OUR VIEWS ON THE SUBJECT MATTER BEFORE US WERE TESTED BY THE EVIDENCE TIME AND AGAIN, AND I BELIEVE IT STRENGTHENED THE FINAL TENOR OF THE REPORT.
THE REPORT IS CLOSE TO UNANIMOUS, A REFLECTION OF HOW SERIOUSLY MEMBERS TREATED THE TASK OF REPORTING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE EVIDENCE.
THE INQUIRY HAD ITS ORIGINS IN A PROPOSAL BY THE A.C.T. GOVERNMENT TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF BEDS IN THE PUBLIC HOSPITAL SYSTEM BY BETWEEN 63 AND 91, LEAVING SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 609 AND 641 BEDS OVERALL, BY ABOUT MARCH NEXT YEAR.
IN THE VIEW AT LEAST OF THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, THIS INQUIRY WAS ONE ABOUT QUALITY, THAT IS, COULD QUALITY HEALTH SERVICES BE SUSTAINED WITH THE BED REDUCTIONS THE GOVERNMENT HAS FORESHADOWED? IN THIS RESPECT IT WAS IMPRESSED UPON US AT AN
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