"I am very saddened by Sidney's death and I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the enormous impact he had during his career in health in Australia which spanned over four decades," Mr Andrew Podger, Secretary of the Department of Health and Aged Care said.

Sidney migrated to Australia in 1960 from South Africa and joined the NSW Department of Health in the mid 1960s. His areas of specialty were administration of health services and geriatric medicine.

In December 1972, he was approached by the Minister for Social Security, Bill Hayden, to set up the Hospitals and Health Services Commission. He was the Commission's chairman until its disbandment in 1978. He was instrumental in establishing the Commonwealth/ State agreements on hospitals which ensured free access to public hospitals for all Australians. He was a pioneer in promoting community-based primary health care.

He was special adviser on social welfare policy to the Fraser Government from 1978 to 1982. He devoted many years to writing about health policy, and championing the cause of research. He was the founding Chairman of the National Health and Medical Research Council's Public Health Research and Development Committee in 1987 and Chairman of the Ethics Committee at the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, a position from which he only recently retired."

"Sidney was someone whose expertise and wisdom was respected on both sides of politics , at both Federal and State levels and amongst both clinicians and administrators. He made a significant impact on the Australian health system and his influence will remain in the many arenas he participated in," said Andrew Podger.

Media contacts: Madeleine Kaye, Department of Health and Aged Care Telephone 02 6289 1264, 0411 255 212