The Education and Health Standing Committee (the Committee), Chaired by Janet, undertook the above inquiry between 4 December 2008 and 6 May 2010.  The Terms of Reference of the inquiry were:

"That the Committee review Western Australia's current and future hopsital and community health care services to determine whether population needs are taken into account in assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating those services with particular reference to:

(a) monitoring the compliance with and any departure from the Reid Report and the Clinical Services Framework 2005-2015;

(b) identifying any outstanding needs and gaps in health care services; and

(c) considering the ramifications of the Royal Perth Hospital Protection Bill 2008."

The Committee produced an interim Report to its inquiry entitled "Invest Now or Pay Later:  Securing the Future of Western Australia's Children" and which was tabled in the Legislative Assembly on 11 March 2010.  The Committee made the decision to table an interim Report as the inquiry had bought to light disturbing data that showed community child health services had deteriorated since publication of the Committee's previous Report, "Healthy Child - Healthy State:  Improving Western Australia's Child Health SCreening Programs" tabled in May 2009.

The Government provided two Responses to the Report:  the first dated 21 June 2010 and the second dated 10 January 2011.