Submissions to committees of inquiry into hospital and health services 1973

Historical Significance: Health was a prominent policy issue in the 1972 Australian federal government elections, and the policy of the new Labor Government at that time emphasised the regional approach to health service delivery, including community-based services and preventive health programs, in close cooperation with the states. The Hospitals and Health Services Commission Act 1973 (Cwlth) was passed in December 1973 and members of the new Commission were appointed in April 1974. The Commission had broad-ranging functions and powers that had major influences on national health policy development in Australia. The Hospitals and Health Services Commission was ultimately disbanded by the coalition government, which came into office after the dismissal of the Whitlam Government in November, 1975. These two reports reflect the relatively naive thinking of the AOA on broader public health issues at the time: optometrists were not yet in Medibank, did not often practise in hospitals and had only recenly engaged in low vision care with other agencies. They were soon to oppose the entry of the Victorian College of Optometry into the newly established community health centres and maintain that opposition for the next 15 years. (See Cat No 1436 for more information on this).