Page 5806 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 7 December 2011

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MRS DUNNE: Supplementary question, Mr Speaker.

MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mrs Dunne.

MRS DUNNE: Minister, what procedures are followed to assess whether an organisation that is not an authorised entity is in fact suitable to care for children and young people in the care and protection system?

MS BURCH: The directorate has very rigorous processes about deeming a placement to be safe and suitable, and the final decision of that rests with the director-general.

MRS DUNNE: Supplementary question, Mr Speaker.

MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mrs Dunne.

MRS DUNNE: Minister, what are the things that are equal and are now in place?

MS BURCH: Rigorous policies and procedures that identify that placements are appropriate and that meet the satisfaction of the director-general, as is his requirement.

Calvary Public Hospital—agreement

MR HARGREAVES: My question is to the Chief Minister in her capacity as Minister for Health. Minister, recently you signed the new Calvary network agreement with the chair of the Little Company of Mary Health Care, John Watkins. Could you outline to the Assembly some of the benefits of this new agreement, please?

MS GALLAGHER: I thank Mr Hargreaves for the question. Yes, earlier today I was able to sign a set of agreements known as the Calvary network agreement. This provides significant progress in the arrangements between the territory and Calvary Health Care over the operation and their role within a networked healthcare system.

It replaces a number of agreements that have been in place for 30 years and actually provides us with a set of agreements going forward that reflect a modern day healthcare system. I think it shows that for the first time since self-government we have had a government that has been prepared to take on the challenge of actually delivering an integrated and modern healthcare system by ensuring that the territory actually has a say in the services that are offered.

If we go back to where this began, Mr Speaker, there was a desire by the Calvary board to sell the hospital. There was a reception from the government that we would like to buy the hospital. We have had some negotiations since that time with different chairs of the boards of Calvary Health Care.

At the beginning the government wanted to ensure that we had an integrated, modern healthcare system where the territory, which is providing—taxpayers in the ACT who are providing—between $130 million and $140 million a year, actually had a greater


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