Treasury ‘tight and secretive’

Press, 23 April 1987, Page 3

Treasury ‘tight and secretive’

Publicity is the best weapon against “a rather tight and secretive, bureaucracy,” according to a Hospital Board member, Professor Don Beaven.

Professor Beaven singled out the Treasury for criticism during a debate bn the replacement of beds at Coronation and Jubilee hospitals. The board received a Health Department response to a board proposal on the replacement of long-stay beds at both hospitals seeking renewed departmental approval. The department asked the board for further detailed financial information. It questioned how the board would meet any additional operating costs for replacement beds and asked it to explore the cost-effectiveness of replacing beds with public funding “or having some other contractual arrangement with the private sector.”

The department’s response annoyed Professor Beaven. “I am concerned at the present thinking within the Treasury. Some of its

ideas are half-baked and I wonder whether there is any input into these decisions by individuals with experience in health care,” he said. “It is no secret that the Health Department is desperately short of people with practical experience in the health fields. "I am not sure what the solution is but the best weapon is general publicity when you are dealing with a rather tight and secretive bureaucracy. “Are Treasury officers totally isolated?” he said. Several board members described the two hospitals as inadequate and outdated. “We have to remember which coronation and jubilee they represent,” Mrs Caroline Cartwright said.

"Although we had previous Government approval and support for the scheme, there was a change in Government and a complete change in thinking,” Mr David Lawrence said.

“Strangely enough for this Government, everything now has to be related to cost-effective-