Dr. Mary Favier:

If I could come in at this point, there is very good international evidence that the most significant thing that influences implementation is the buy-in of the Department of Health. If it is committed and stays committed for a minimum of five years that is what determines whether implementation is successful or not.

The second thing that determines whether implementation is successful is that values clarification takes place. By that I mean that everybody works together to understand where they stand on this issue and not just with the doctors but all healthcare providers, including porters, cleaners, those who do the rostering and those who hold the budgets. All those people need to understand the service and why it is important, but most significantly it must be the Department of Health which co-ordinates and controls that and drives it.