Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Standing Committee on Agencies, Boards and Commissions also reviewed the process through which community interests are represented in the formulation of health policy.

Input Into Health Policy By Health And Hospital Boards

Generally, health and hospital boards expressed a concern that the Department of Health is not taking their suggestions and recommendations seriously. During the November consultation sessions, several boards described situations in which important recommendations had been forwarded to senior officials in the department, without any formal response or action.

This should not be happening. Health and hospital boards have a unique perspective on the needs of their facilities and of the people served by them. It is important to ensure that these perspectives are taken into consideration when territorial health policy is being developed.

The Standing Committee on Agencies, Boards and Commissions takes the position that health and hospital boards report to the Minister of Health and not to her department. Accordingly, procedures need to be developed through which the boards can have direct input to the Minister's office without having to negotiate a series of bureaucratic channels. When health and hospital boards bring forward specific suggestions for policy input, they should be able to expect a timely and complete response.

Clearly, what is needed is a process through which any health or hospital board can issue a formal recommendations to the Minister on a matter of policy. Standards should be set within the Minister's office and the Department of Health which allow for the timely response to formal recommendations, and there should be a system for reporting the status of recommendations to the Legislative Assembly.

Territorial Health Advisory Committee

During the 11th Legislative Assembly, the previous Standing Committee on Agencies, Boards and Commissions tabled a report which recommended, among other things, the dissolution of a central advisory body, known as the territorial hospital insurance services board.

The former Minister, (Honourable Nellie Cournoyea), responded by introducing a bill to amend the Territorial Hospital Insurance Services Act during the Eighth session of the 11th Assembly. These amendments dissolved the central board and transferred its duties to the Minister. This bill was assented to on July 7, 1991.

The current Standing Committee on Agencies, Boards and Commissions is of the opinion that the 11th Assembly took an important step when dissolving the central territorial hospital insurance services board. However, a very valid concern was raised at the time the bill was under consideration by the 11th Assembly.

On July 4, 1991 the 11th Assembly's Standing Committee on Legislation reported on its review of the bill which eliminated the central board. The chairperson commented that:

"There was some concern expressed in both the survey input we received and also during the committee's discussions that the health system must reflect input from the aboriginal organizations or aboriginal people and must involve aboriginal people in the development of standards, policies and financial decisions at the senior level.

"Further the Standing Committee on Legislation was mindful of the fact that, if authority for the health system is to lie with the Minister of Health, regional health boards feel strongly that they should have direct access to her for communication and policy input. They did not want to see a process developed where the department is a filter between the Minister and the regional health boards."

That concludes my section.