Government committment to local hospitals

Nationals member for Benalla, Bill Sykes, has obtained a commitment from the current Minister for Health that Local Hospital Boards will be retained.

Dr Sykes wrote to the Premier on the 2nd of November this year, requesting that…

“In the event that the ALP is elected to Government on 25 November 2006 he assure us that there will be no change to governance arrangements and powers of Local Hospital Boards for the term of the next Parliament.”

Dr Sykes’ actions followed concerns being expressed to him by several Local Hospital Boards regarding board members only being reappointed for 4 months rather than the usual 3 years.

Dr Sykes said, “I was contacted by one Hospital Board chairman who was concerned that the short term of reappointment was part of a strategy to “clear the decks” and sack Local Hospital Boards and replace them with Regional Hospital Boards after the election.”

Several other local hospitals confirmed that they had similar concerns.

These concerns were influenced by the Government’s termination of local Doctors’ appointments on Hospital Boards a couple of years ago on the grounds of potential conflicts of interest.

Dr Sykes concluded, “I am pleased that the Minister for Health has given her verbal commitment to reappoint local boards if the ALP is re-elected. However, I am disappointed that the Premier has not yet given me a written response to the specific assurance which I sought from him.

I will continue to pursue a written assurance from the Premier as local management of hospitals ensures practical local input, a sense of ownership, and the gateway to hundreds of thousands of funds raised by local volunteers.