Dr LIM - 2005-08-16
Leaked Alice Springs Hospital Board documents reveal that the letter you read to parliament in Alice Springs in March this year, claiming to be a letter of support from the board, was not a letter from the full board but was, in fact, a letter coerced by your head of Health, Robert Griew, who had inappropriately requested the letter from the board chair, Margaret Wait. Did the head of your Health Department, Robert Griew, engage in this inappropriate behaviour at your request, or did he take it upon himself to engage in this political interference?
Madam SPEAKER: Before you reply, minister, I remind you, member for Greatorex, that people who are not members do not have any right of reply in this Chamber. We need to be fairly careful about what we say, particularly in relation to public servants.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I feel it is best if Margaret Wait answers the question. I will read directly from her media release of 29 July 2005:
I could go on, Madam Speaker. I will table the letter. The part I have read out continues for another page of equally positive comments about the hospital.
Dr Lim: Do that; table the letter.
Dr TOYNE: The member for Greatorex should join the rest of us and acknowledge that there is some very good work and development going on in Alice Springs Hospital.
Madam SPEAKER: Before you reply, minister, I remind you, member for Greatorex, that people who are not members do not have any right of reply in this Chamber. We need to be fairly careful about what we say, particularly in relation to public servants.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I feel it is best if Margaret Wait answers the question. I will read directly from her media release of 29 July 2005:
- Margaret Wait, the Chairperson of Alice Springs Hospital Board of Management, today refuted some of the recent media comments concerning Alice Springs Hospital and its board over the last week.
She stated ‘I wrote a letter to the Minister for Health and Community Services in March 2005 to convey to him that we were pleased with various recent developments within the Hospital. These were signalled by his CEO Robert Griew both personally and at the hospital staff forum the day before I wrote the letter.
‘The letter also reminded the minister of a range of factors to keep in mind in implementing the action plan, while applauding the planning processes proposed. I also reminded the minister of the tough job all staff face in our Hospital which must be many things to and for many different people’.
‘The CEO invited me to respond in writing, if I so wished, to the proposals put forward in the previous days. This I did with the letter so romantically referred to later by one media wag as a “love letter” to the minister. A brief peek in Hansard will show it to be rather more stern and dispassionate than such a letter!’
- Ms Wait added ‘Far from feeling bullied to write it, as one media article suggested, I was more than pleased to contact the minister about these positive developments and jumped at the opportunity. His reading of the letter in parliament was a bonus – it showed his commitment to ensuring that the initiatives will all be followed through’.
- Ms Wait added ‘The Board was and is pleased with the support that the minister has promised and provided this year. The increased budget to $84.4m for 2005-06, an increase of over 7%, was very welcome; so was the increased bed allocation aiming for 24 new beds. The expanded renal and intensive care programs are pitched at meeting rapidly rising demands in those areas. And on the staff front, the accommodation improvement program should help us attract and retain good staff’.
- ‘Additional good news comes from the hospital: all heads of clinical departments have been confirmed to be appointed including Paediatrics. All have Australian recognised qualifications. The hospital also now has two Australian trained orthopaedic surgeons. National and overseas recruitment recently agreed by the minister are substantial investments towards a stable nursing work force. The hospital’s reliance on short-term locum (‘agency’) nurses to help with this is being targeted for reduction too.
‘Every effort is being made to reduce elective surgery waitlists’.
I could go on, Madam Speaker. I will table the letter. The part I have read out continues for another page of equally positive comments about the hospital.
Dr Lim: Do that; table the letter.
Dr TOYNE: The member for Greatorex should join the rest of us and acknowledge that there is some very good work and development going on in Alice Springs Hospital.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016