No. 88 2561

SUPPLEMENT
TO THE
NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE
OF
THURSDAY, 29 JULY 1982
Published by Authority

WELLINGTON: TUESDAY, 3 AUGUST 1982

Appointment of Committee of Inquiry into Procedures at Oakley Hospital and Other Related Matters

To all to whom these presents shall come, and to:
RODNEY GERALD GALLEN, LL.B. of Napier, One of Her Majesty’s Counsel Learned in the Law;
RITA MCEWAN, M.B.E., R.COMP.N., DIP.N.(S.A.N.S.) of Parcmata, retired principal nurse; and
BRIAN JOSEPH SHEA, O.B.E., MB BS Adel, DPM Melb, PRANZCP, FACMA, FRC PSYCH, FHA, FAIM, Director of Mental Health, South Australian Health Commission:

PURSUANT to section 13 (3) of the Hospitals Act 1957, I, ANTHONY GEORGE MALCOLM, Minister of Health, hereby appoint you the said Rodney Gerald Gallen, Rita McEwan, and Brian Joseph Shea to be a Committee of Inquiry—

(1) To inquire into and make recommendations on procedures at Oakley Hospital as they relate to the care, treatment, and management of patients:

(2) As part of the inquiry specified in paragraph (1), to investigate allegations in a certain affidavit concerning Michael Watene deceased which has been brought to the attention of the Auckland Hospital Board:

(3) To inquire into and make recommendations on such other matters as appear relevant:

And I hereby appoint you, the said Rodney Gerald Gallen, to be the Chairman of the Committee:

And, in accordance with section 13 (3) of the Hospitals Act 1957, I direct that the Committee shall have the powers of a Commission under the Commissions of Inquiry Act 1908, and the provisions of that Act, except sections 11 and 12 (which relate to costs), shall apply as if the inquiry were an inquiry under that Act:

And for the better enabling you to carry these presents into effect you are hereby authorised and empowered to make and conduct any inquiry under these presents in accordance with the Commissions of Inquiry Act 1908, at such times and places as you consider expedient, with power to adjourn from time to time and from place to place as you think fit, and so that these presents shall continue in force and the inquiry may at any time and place be resumed although not regularly adjourned from time to time or from place to place:

And you are hereby strictly charged and directed that you shall not at any time publish or otherwise disclose, save to me in pursuance of these presents or by my direction, the contents or purport of any report so made or to be made by you, or any evidence or information obtained by you in the exercise of the powers hereby conferred upon you, except such evidence or information as is received in the course of a sitting open to the public:

And it is hereby declared that the powers hereby conferred shall be exercisable notwithstanding the absence at any time of any one of the members hereby appointed so long as the Chairman, or a member deputed by the Chairman to act in his stead, and one other member, are present and concur in the exercise of the powers:

And it is hereby declared that you have liberty to report your proceedings and findings from time to time if you shall judge it expedient to do so:

And, using all due diligence, you are required to report to me in writing under your hands not later than the 1st day of November 1982 your findings and opinions on the matters aforesaid, together with such recommendations as you think fit to make in respect thereof.

Dated at Wellington this 2nd day of August 1982.

A. G. MALCOLM, Minister of Health.

Price 30c BY AUTHORITY: F. D. HASSELBERG, GOVERNMENT PRINTER, WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND 1982