Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

The Minister for Health has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1) Benchmarking is an activity that allows the comparison of data against a set of best practice results ("the benchmark"). Benchmarking products are generally software applications that allow users to easily compare their own data with a set of industry benchmarks.

(2) (a) No

(b) No

(3) Not applicable - refer to question 2

(4) Yes

(5) Yes

(6) See schedule provided by the Department of Health and Ageing at Attachment 1.

(7) See schedule provided by the Department of Health and Ageing at Attachment 1.

(8) The Director of Independent Hospital Pricing Authority's Hospital Costing Section, Ms Karen Chudleigh, was appointed on 1 November 2011 and her term expires on 31 December 2012.

(9) No

(10) (a)There is no relationship between Ms Chudleigh and Healthcost.

(b) Ms Chudleigh has had no association with Visasys, beyond that of managing the contract for the National Hospital Cost Data Collection.

(11) The Australian Public Service Commission Code of Conduct requires that employees "disclose, and take reasonable steps to avoid, any conflict of interest (real or apparent) in connection with APS employment". No such disclosure has been made by Ms Chudleigh in relation to Visasys.

(12) Ms Chudleigh liaises with the Queensland Department of Health in her role as Director Hospital Costing. The IHPA Technical Working Groups (TWG) are the main point of formal liaison. The following TWG's have been held since IHPAs establishment:

(13) (a) The Director of Hospital Costing was the Chair of the Evaluation Panel providing a recommendation to the delegate.

(b) IHPA is not aware of who drafted the tender for Visasys.

(14) No involvement – no such presentation has taken place.

(15) IHPA is unaware of Visasys market share in Australia, nor how many employees they currently have.

Attachment 1