Task force awaited

Press, 24 September 1987, Page 3

Task force awaited

The continuing debate over the establishment of an area health board in the region rested on the recommendations of the Government task force, the chairman of the Canterbury Hospital Board, Mr Tom Grigg, told the board’s monthly meeting yesterday. He was replying to criticism about an alleged lack of progress by the board’s steering committee. Mr David Close had

expressed disappointment at the “slow progress” made by the committee in studying the board’s future directions. “I doubt that the steering committee will now be able to report back in October with its recommendations. It is making extremely slow progress. A core group has been established five months after the initial moves were made in February.”

The Government’s task force had a wide brief in its examination of New Zealand’s health services, Mr Grigg said. “It is important that we do not go too fast until the task force’s recommendations have been made to the Govehiment. They could cut across what we are doing. “There could be room for speeding up once the results of this report are known,” he said.