Boards study Gibbs report

Press, 9 April 1988, Page 8

Boards study Gibbs report

PA Wellington Hospital boards have deferred their response to the Gibbs task force report in order to study [it more closely. ’ ! The association’s president, Mr Tom Grigg, said yesterday that a working party would be set ‘up next week to examine the report V “We feel we need a lot more input before we can respond in a thoughtftd and positive way to this very full report,” he said at the association’s meeting in Wellington: ( - The report had taken more 1 than h year to be written and researched and the boards needed a reasonable r time !; (to respond to it, hesaid % Heads of - boards: dis- ) cussed the! association's response in a 90-minute closed session _at the meeting, i The report, made public on Tuesday, recommends extensive changes to the health system to improve efficiency and save money. ' [i Mr Grigg said board leaders had been i "quite unanimous” in agreeing with such task force re T commendations as the need to improve manager meat structures and hospitals* information base. | But they needed more time to examine proposed remedies to “deficiencies” such as funding and administrative structure. The working, party would report to the board on June 1, a few days before the Government deadline for public submissions ended, he said. The Director-General of Health, Dr George Salmond, told the meeting (a health council should be set up to develop i a national health policy. ! The council would consist of Health Department officials, board chairmen and chairwomen, general managers and chief executives and would tie chaired by the Minister of Health. i '■ ■[