NOTE: Would you please run a Melbourne dateline on this story
as the Prime Minister is in Melbourne. It is not being
released anywhere else. P. M. No. l/ 19' 59
COSTS OF TEACHING HOSPITALS
Statement by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. R. G. Menzies
The Prime Minister announced today that he had appointed
a committee to inquire into the costs incurred by teaching
hospitals which are directly attributable to the instruction of
medical students, and to submit for the consideration of the
Australian Universities Commission recommendations on the magnitude
and urgency of Commonwealth assistance for these hospitals
which would be appropriate to those special costs.
Sir Leslie Martin Chairman of the Australian Universities Commission
will be Chairman of this Committee. Its other members
will be:-
Dr'. V. L. Collins, Medical Director, Royal Children's Hospital,
elourne, and Professor-elect of Child Health, University of
Melbourne; Professor D. P. Derham. Professor of Jurisprudence,
University of Melbourne, memberf of the Board of Management, Royal
Melbourne Hospital, and member, Faculty of Medicine, University
of Melbourne;
Mr J. Griffith, O. BOE., Administrator, Royal Perth Hospital;
Mr. L. B1. Hamilton, First Assistant Secretary, Socia-l Serviced'
Division of the Commonwealth Treasury;
Professor J. Hayden, Professor of Medicine, University
of Melbourne, and President of the Royal Australasian College of
Physicians;
Mr. P. Kenny, Honorary Surgeon, St. Vincent's Hospita, Sydney,
and Councillor, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons;
Mr. A. H. Lendon, Honorary Surgeon, Royal Adelaide Hospital, and
Councillor, Royal Australasian Council of Surgeons;
Dr. J. Lindell, Chairman, Hospitals and Charities Commission of
Victoria, and previously Medical Superintendent of the Royal
Melbourne Hospital;
Dr. G. A. Penington, Dean of the Royal Melbourne Hospital Clinical
School; Sir Helbert Schlink, Chairman of the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital,
Sydney, and President of the Australian Hospitals' Association;
Professor S. Sunderland, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University
of Melbourne; and
Prof'essor N. G. Sutton, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University
of Queensland. It will be seen that this membership is drawn from all
States with teaching hospitals, and includes men experienced in
hospital administration, others who have a close acquaintance
with the inter-relation betwoen universities and hospitals in
the field of clinical teaching, and others with particular knowledge
of the leg.,. al and financial implications of the subject of
the inquiry.
2,
The Prime Minister said that earlier in the year he
had been asked by the Health Ministers of the States to set up
such a committee, and that he had a.' reed to do so but had delayed
taking action until the Australian Universities Commission
was established and its views know-n. Indeed, the Committee has
been established in accordance with the terms of the Australian
Universities Commission Act, . ijhich provides for the ; c. ppointment
of Committees to advise the Commission on specific problems. At
present, Mr. Menzies commented, the Commoniealth does not contribute
to the costs incurred by the teaching hospitals as a
direct result of the training given in them to medical students,
although, through the Australian Universities Commission, it
does assist the States to meet the cost of other aspects of
medical teaching. The Prime Minister stated that he appreciated that this
matter is one of some urgency. Nevertheless, because the
Commission is at present fully occupied in assessing the needs of
Australian universities in the period 1961-63, it will not be
practicable for the committee on the tead-ing hospitals to begin
its investigations until the early montlas of next year.
MELB3OURNE, 18th December, 1959.