AGY-52 | Health Commission of New South Wales

Full description

In November 1969 a Committee on Community Health Services reported to the Minister for Health on the form of the state's administration of Health Services. Among the Committee's recommendations was the establishment of a single State Government agency for the administration of Health Services to the people of NSW. The Committee's report read.
"5. This unification should be achieved by the creation of a New South Wales Health Commission which should assume all the present activities associated with the State health services, i.e.... those of the Department of Public Health, the Hospitals Commission of New South Wales and the New South Wales Ambulance Transport Service Board.

"6. The Health Commission itself should be small in size and non representative of particular organisations " (1)

The Health Commission Act, 1972 (Act No. 63, 1972), (2) which was proclaimed on 1 April, 1973, (3) abolished the Department of Public Health, the Hospitals Commission and the Board of Heath and replaced them with the newly constituted Health Commission.

The Commission was to consist of the following officers:
a chairman;
Commissioner for Personal Health Services;
Commissioner for environmental and Special Health Services;
Commissioner for Manpower and Management Services; and
Commissioner for finance and Physical Resources (4)

The powers, duties and functions of the Commission included:
* surveying and investigating the health requirements of the people of New South Wales , the available resources to fill these needs and the methods of meeting these needs;
* inquiring into the standards of health services and facilities;
* planning health services throughout the state;
* recommending to the Minister programs and methods foe meeting health needs;
* reporting and advising on special health problems as they arose;
* the conduct of health services and where necessary erection of suitable premises in which the services were carried out
* making arrangements for other agents to carry out health services;
* undertaking, promoting and encouraging research into health issues;
* promoting and facilitating the provision of health services by Local Government;
* promoting and facilitating social welfare services necessary to complement health services;
* promoting and facilitating professional, technical or other training for those employed in health services;
* promoting and facilitating fund raising in association with the provision of health services;
* promoting and facilitating the provision of health services by non-government organisations;
* performing any supplemental or consequential acts to facilitate the functions of the Commission. (5)

The first Commissioners took office on 2 April, 1973 (6) and on 30 April the Department of Health, the Board of Health and the Hospitals Commission of New South Wales were abolished and their powers, authorities, duties and functions were assumed by the newly-formed Commission (7)

With the exception of some highly specialised and technical services, the delivery and administration of health services on a day-to-day basis was decentralised through regional offices of the Commission each managed by a Regional Director of Health. By June 1974 eleven Regional Directors had been appointed and three other regions had been planned. (8)

The Ambulances Services Act, 1976 (Act No. 72, 1976) abolished the ambulances services act and Health Transport and Emergency Care Services became an operational arm of the Commission. (9)

In 1979 Clinical Directorates were established in a number of areas which had previously lacked resources establishing the Divisions of Mental Health Services, Mental Retardation Services, Maternal and Child Health , Geriatric and Rehabilitation Services and Drug and Alcohol Services. (10)

In 1982 the major divisions and services of the Commission included Division of Analytical Laboratories, Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research, Central Cancer Registry, Division of Forensic Medicine, The Oliver Latham Laboratory (for diagnosis of neuropsychiatric illness), Division of Maternal and Child Health, Pharmaceutical Services Branch, Sexually Transmitted Diseases Clinic, Aerial Ambulance Service, Rural Aerial Service, Ambulance Contribution Scheme and provision of secretarial support for the various Health Professional Registration Boards. (11)

In December 1982 the Health Commission was abolished and replaced by the Department of Health established by the Health Administration Act (No.135, 1982). (12)


Endnotes
(1) Report of the Committee on Community Health Services, November, 1969. P. 9 In NSW Parliamentary Papers 1969-70-71, Vol 7, p. 321
(2) An Act to constitute the Health Commission of New South Wales, 1972. s.16
(3) NSW Government Gazette, 13 March, 1973 p. 814
(4) Health Commission Act, 1972 s. 6
(5) Ibid. S. 18
(6) Annual report of the Health Commission of New South Wales for the year ended 30 June, 1973, p. 5 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1973-1974 Volume 2, p. 67
(7) Loc cit.
(8) Health Commission of New South Wales, annual report for the year ended 30 June, 1974 p. 5 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1974-75 vol 3 p. 591
(9) Ambulance Services Act, 1976 s.5
(10) Report of the Health Commission of New South Wales for the year ended 30 June, 1979 p. 8 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1979-80 vol 5 p. 1144
(11) NSW Directory of Administration and Services. 3rd edition, 1982 . 175 -179
(12) Health Administration Act, 1982, s. 6