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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 11 Hansard (5 November) . . Page.. 3626 ..

QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Hospitals - Parent Accommodation Charge

MR BERRY: My question is directed to the Health Minister, Mrs Carnell. Today's edition of the Canberra Times and last evening's news contained reports of a Mr Glenn Wickham complaining about being charged for being in a room at the hospital with his child during the course of an illness. Mrs Carnell, when you were asked about the charges levied on parents staying with their children in hospital you said, "It is a management decision and certainly not one that is a fee or charge set by government". What have you done to remove the charge?

MRS CARNELL: I cannot help but laugh, Mr Speaker. I have to say that I agree that this charge is a tiny bit rich, when parents are sitting beside the bed of a sick child and looking after that child. So, on that basis, I have put in place mechanisms to remove the charge. I did not think it was terribly fair for parents who were helping our hospital system to look after their children. So, thank you, Mr Berry; the charge is now removed.

MR BERRY: Mr Speaker, I seek leave to table a determination of fees and charges which demonstrates that the Chief Minister herself gazetted this charge.

Leave granted.

MR BERRY: I ask the Chief Minister: In the light of her statement that it is a management decision and certainly not one that is a fee or charge set by government, will the Chief Minister now apologise to the Canberra community for misleading it? Will the Chief Minister now apologise to the Wickhams for misleading them as well?

MRS CARNELL: Poor old Mr Berry; he cannot help himself. Mr Speaker, all of the fees and charges at the hospital are gazetted and signed by the Minister.

Mr Berry: Not yesterday, they were not.

MRS CARNELL: There is a big difference here. The fees for - - -

Mr Berry: There is a big difference here between yesterday and today.

MRS CARNELL: He just cannot believe that we actually act on things quickly when things are unfair. Mr Speaker, all fees and charges, including such things as the daily rate for private patients, that the management at the hospital sets are gazetted.

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