Mr CONLAN - 2008-09-17
The report on the review of outpatient services, in which you highlighted a number of deficiencies under your watch, from April this year, also highlighted chronic difficulties with the phone system for outpatient services - dj vu - a bit like the police phone system in Alice Springs. Nevertheless, this failure means patients frequently leave the hospital without making an appointment. Does not the fact that not even the phone system works at the Alice Springs Hospital warrant a full public inquiry into the Territory’s health system?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I have already outlined the review and the measures. I take on board the issue that the member for Greatorex has raised. However, if we are talking about Alice Springs Hospital and the difficulties it faces, why do we not look at the continuing difficulties regarding works that were carried out during the CLP time?
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Dr BURNS: Madam Speaker, much has been …
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Greatorex, you are on a warning! Minister, please continue.
Dr BURNS: Madam Speaker, the member for Greatorex has raised a valid point about a phone system he says is not working. However, I wonder if he has actually walked around the wards that were renovated, that is the word, or rebuilt, under the CLP? What happened there is an absolute disgrace and it is still inconveniencing patients ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Dr BURNS: We are still having to decant wards, Madam Speaker. Whole wards are having to be decanted, because this problem has been ongoing since 2001 ...
Mr Elferink: You inspected it, you signed off on it, you finish the job.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Members interjecting.
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Port Darwin, you are on a warning!
Dr BURNS: Madam Speaker, there are big issues in Alice Springs Hospital. We are working through the legal and operational issues that we inherited from the CLP. But what else are we doing? We are building a new ED; we are carrying on with work such as this, and we will continue to work with Alice Springs Hospital to make it the best hospital in Central Australia.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I have already outlined the review and the measures. I take on board the issue that the member for Greatorex has raised. However, if we are talking about Alice Springs Hospital and the difficulties it faces, why do we not look at the continuing difficulties regarding works that were carried out during the CLP time?
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Dr BURNS: Madam Speaker, much has been …
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Greatorex, you are on a warning! Minister, please continue.
Dr BURNS: Madam Speaker, the member for Greatorex has raised a valid point about a phone system he says is not working. However, I wonder if he has actually walked around the wards that were renovated, that is the word, or rebuilt, under the CLP? What happened there is an absolute disgrace and it is still inconveniencing patients ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Dr BURNS: We are still having to decant wards, Madam Speaker. Whole wards are having to be decanted, because this problem has been ongoing since 2001 ...
Mr Elferink: You inspected it, you signed off on it, you finish the job.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Members interjecting.
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Port Darwin, you are on a warning!
Dr BURNS: Madam Speaker, there are big issues in Alice Springs Hospital. We are working through the legal and operational issues that we inherited from the CLP. But what else are we doing? We are building a new ED; we are carrying on with work such as this, and we will continue to work with Alice Springs Hospital to make it the best hospital in Central Australia.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016