Commission dissolved

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33155, 20 February 1973, Page 1

Commission dissolved

•A'ctr Zealand Press AssuctaUun • WELLINGTON. February 19. The (jO\ eminent today created what is believed to be a legal precedent by deciding to dissolve the Royal (Aimmission of Inquiry into hospital and related services.

Legal experts have been unable to find any other instance in the British Empire or Commonwealth of a Royal Commission being dissolved. A Royal Warrant will be published in the “Gazette” making the Government’s decision effective from March 9. Announcing the decision, the Minister of Health (Mr Tizard) said that the Government had its own “positive plans” for hospital services. "The call is for action rather than protracted discussion,” said Mr Tizard. “The decisions will inevitably forestall much of the commission’s work. "Problems which exist in hospitals and related services need action now. The Government is therefore setting up a special caucus committee to investigate and report urgently on ways and means of achieving the policy objectives we have set. “Even if the Royal Commission were able to achieve its target dates for reporting.

there would be lengthy delays before its recommendations were available to the Government for its consideration. WAITING LISIS “Such urgent problems as the extent of hospital waiting lists and the means of reducing them, proper geriatric facilities in hospital board areas and the development and expansion of communitybased services, require attention now. “Individuals or organisations who intended to make their views known to the ; commission on these or any j other aspects of tiealth services can send them to me in the certainty that they will be i considered by the caucus committee. Submissions already made to the Royal Commission will also hr 'made available to the committee. "The Government wants New Zealand once again to provide our people with a standard of health care second to none and as quickly as possible.” The Royal Commission was established by the National Government on February 28, 1972. It followed widespread i unrest amongst nursing staff lin psychiatric hospitals. A commission of inquiry was held into conditions at Oakley Hospital, Auckland; and the Government promised a wider inquiry into the whole of hospital services. The chairman of the Oakiley inquiry, an Auckland barrister, Mr C. P. Hutchinson. Q.C., was also appointed chairman of the Royal Commission. One of its first tasks was to report on a pay differential for psychiatric nurses and this was carried out last December. Other commission members ; were an Auckland company I director, Mr J. R. Cropper; I the former medical superin-tendent-in-chief of the Auck-

land Hospital Board, Dr V.. E. Henley; a former secretary of the Public Service Association, Mr J. Turnbull; and Mrs lona Williams, of Dunedin.

The decision of the Labour Government to dissolve the i Royal Commission of Inquiry (into hospital and related seri vices was a serious and retrograde step, Mr L. R. AdamsSchneider (Nat., Waikato) said tonight. Mr Adams-Schneider, who was Minister of Health and i Social Welfare in the Na tional Government, said that ithe commission had been dissolved in the midst of its work. "It was well equipped, iboth in personnel and staff, to undertake a consideration of all hospitals and related services, both public and pri- ■ vate.” he said.