Western Suburbs Leagues Club v Everill

The New South Wales Court of Appeal considered an appeal by Western Suburbs Leagues Club against a decision concerning the provision of housekeeping or domestic assistance to a worker. The dispute centred on whether such assistance constituted "medical or related treatment" under section 59(f) of the *Workers Compensation Act 1987* (NSW).

The primary legal issue before the Court of Appeal was the interpretation of section 59(f) of the *Workers Compensation Act 1987*, specifically whether the definition of "medical or related treatment" extended to encompass the cost of housekeeping or domestic assistance for an injured worker.

The Court of Appeal, in allowing the appeal, reasoned that the ordinary meaning of "medical or related treatment" did not include housekeeping or domestic assistance. The Court found that while such assistance might be beneficial to a worker recovering from an injury, it did not fall within the scope of services typically understood as medical or directly related to medical treatment. The Court concluded that the Act did not intend to broaden the definition of medical treatment to include these services. The appeal was allowed, and consequential orders were made.