Dr LIM - 2006-10-18
You boast that your budget has gone up by some 60% since you came to government. However, elective surgery waiting lists have nearly doubled since your government came to office in 2001. In fact, 1236 patients have been waiting for more than a year for their elective surgery. The promise of extra hospital beds remains unfulfilled. Administration costs have blown out. You are cutting subsidies to medical services in Palmerston. You are spending $4000 of taxpayers’ money on health for each and every person in the Territory this year. For all that extra money, why are the services to Territorians worse than they were when you came to government?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, I thank the member for Greatorex for his question. There is no doubt that there is pressure on elective surgery within the system. It comes about because we have the greatest demand for elective surgery. In the latest state of our hospitals report, June 2006, it shows 37 admissions per 1000 people, far outweighing the national average of 27. We are maintaining our activity in elective surgery of around 5500 per year, despite this extra demand. It is important to note that Territorians do not wait any longer for elective surgery than people in other jurisdictions. The median waiting time for surgery in the Territory is the same as nationally, that is, 29 days.
Basically, there is pressure within the system. I do acknowledge that there is certainly pressure all around Australia in terms of elective surgery, but we are taking action to address the issue. The Chief Minister and I visited RDH a month or so ago, where we saw the extra beds in the Rapid Assessment and Planning Unit, which are already reducing demand, pushing people through the hospital, making a decision whether they are going to be admitted or not within a very short time, and we heard very positive feedback from staff there.
This government also made an election commitment, in terms of Alice Springs Hospital and Royal Darwin Hospital, for 24 extra beds each during this term of government. We are certainly moving in terms of Royal Darwin Hospital. I believe there have been six in the last financial year and we are looking at staging those beds coming on stream.
In terms of Alice Springs Hospital, unfortunately, the remediation of the hospital which, in a large part, was caused by the way in which the CLP bungled that whole …
Members interjecting.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order, order!
Dr BURNS: The fact is, Leader of the Opposition, that you allowed the contract to be let, that let the builder self certify those works. That is where it all fell apart. That is the damage that we are still picking up and the bill we are still picking up. Until things settle down at Alice Springs, we will not be able to implement those beds immediately. I am hoping that in the 2007-08 year we will be able to implement those beds. We are spending $5.5m extra in terms of the emergency department at Alice Springs Hospital.
To conclude, member for Greatorex, yes, elective surgery is an issue. I have already spoken with clinicians and others about ways in which we can increase the flow through our hospitals and speed up our elective surgery. We are certainly in line with national trends and national averages in terms of our elective surgery in the Northern Territory. When the annual report of the Health department comes out, you will be able to see that for yourself.
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, I thank the member for Greatorex for his question. There is no doubt that there is pressure on elective surgery within the system. It comes about because we have the greatest demand for elective surgery. In the latest state of our hospitals report, June 2006, it shows 37 admissions per 1000 people, far outweighing the national average of 27. We are maintaining our activity in elective surgery of around 5500 per year, despite this extra demand. It is important to note that Territorians do not wait any longer for elective surgery than people in other jurisdictions. The median waiting time for surgery in the Territory is the same as nationally, that is, 29 days.
Basically, there is pressure within the system. I do acknowledge that there is certainly pressure all around Australia in terms of elective surgery, but we are taking action to address the issue. The Chief Minister and I visited RDH a month or so ago, where we saw the extra beds in the Rapid Assessment and Planning Unit, which are already reducing demand, pushing people through the hospital, making a decision whether they are going to be admitted or not within a very short time, and we heard very positive feedback from staff there.
This government also made an election commitment, in terms of Alice Springs Hospital and Royal Darwin Hospital, for 24 extra beds each during this term of government. We are certainly moving in terms of Royal Darwin Hospital. I believe there have been six in the last financial year and we are looking at staging those beds coming on stream.
In terms of Alice Springs Hospital, unfortunately, the remediation of the hospital which, in a large part, was caused by the way in which the CLP bungled that whole …
Members interjecting.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order, order!
Dr BURNS: The fact is, Leader of the Opposition, that you allowed the contract to be let, that let the builder self certify those works. That is where it all fell apart. That is the damage that we are still picking up and the bill we are still picking up. Until things settle down at Alice Springs, we will not be able to implement those beds immediately. I am hoping that in the 2007-08 year we will be able to implement those beds. We are spending $5.5m extra in terms of the emergency department at Alice Springs Hospital.
To conclude, member for Greatorex, yes, elective surgery is an issue. I have already spoken with clinicians and others about ways in which we can increase the flow through our hospitals and speed up our elective surgery. We are certainly in line with national trends and national averages in terms of our elective surgery in the Northern Territory. When the annual report of the Health department comes out, you will be able to see that for yourself.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016