MEDIA RELEASE
Transition of Calvary Public Hospital Bruce to Canberra Health Services: Communiqué between the Committee and the ACT Minister for Health
Today the Chair of the Standing Committee on Health and Community Wellbeing, Mr Johnathan Davis MLA, tabled a communiqué concerning briefings provided by the Minister for Health, to the Committee, concerning the transition of Calvary Public Hospital Bruce to Canberra Health Services.
Mr Davis said, ‘On 11 May this year, the Standing Committee on Health and Community Wellbeing issued a statement acknowledging the motion in the Legislative Assembly that the Health Infrastructure Enabling Bill 2023 would be debated by the Assembly prior to any committee inquiry or report’.
‘The 11 May statement announced that, to provide appropriate scrutiny of the Executive Government decision to acquire Calvary Public Hospital Bruce, the Standing Committee on Health and Community Wellbeing had instigated fortnightly briefings with responsible Ministers and Canberra Health Service officials’.
Mr Davis said, ‘These briefings allow the Committee to receive detailed information about the ongoing transition from responsible Ministers and officials, provide opportunities for Members of the Committee to ask questions about the transition’s progress and to provide advice about the ongoing transition’.
On 23 May and 20 June this year, the Standing Committee on Health and Community Wellbeing received briefings from Minister Stephen-Smith and officials from the ACT Government.
On 23 May the briefing comprised processes for future information sessions between the Minister and the Committee for the remainder of 2023, including standing agenda items for Calvary Bruce Private Hospital and Clare Holland House and that the Minister will propose protocols for how the Committee will treat the information provided.
On 20 June the briefing included:
- the acquisition and priorities for the transition process
- payments for staff who choose a redundancy package (with the understanding that almost all the staff at Calvary Public Hospital Bruce have been offered roles).
- job offers and payroll systems
- negotiations about the operator of Clare Holland House
The Minister provided a proposed protocol for the handling of the information that would be discussed in subsequent briefings.
The Committee notes that as at 20 June 2023, 1059 Calvary staff registered for transition employment offers with Canberra Health Services, noting that 1500 staff members denote a functional workforce.
The Committee also understands from the briefings that the transition of assets and staff to Canberra Health Services will occur up to and following the acquisition on 3 July 2023.
Mr Davis said, ‘I thank the Minister and officials from the ACT Health Directorate and Canberra Health Services for their commitment to regularly meeting with us throughout the remainder of 2023’.
The communiqué is available on the Committee webpage Standing Committee on Health and Community Wellbeing – Discussion Papers.
28 AUGUST 2023
STATEMENT ENDS
For further information please contact:
Committee Chair, Mr Johnathan Davis MLA on (02) 6205 0051
Committee Secretary, Dr Adele Chynoweth OAM, on (02) 6207 5498 or at: