Ms ANDERSON - 2008-02-12
I understand you and the Treasurer recently met with your federal counterpart to come up with ways to reduce elective surgery waiting times. Can you update the House on the outcomes of those discussions and what it means for people waiting for elective surgery in the Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for her important question. On 14 January, along with the Treasurer, I attended a meeting in Brisbane of Commonwealth, state and territory Treasurers and Health ministers. The main point of discussion for us as Health ministers was the offer - it was on the table, more than an offer - of $600m over four years from the federal government to reduce elective surgery waiting lists.
The first tranche of that $600m was $150m that was on the table. Out of that, the Territory received $5.3m to reduce our elective surgery waiting lists. With approximately 1% of the Australian population, that is certainly punching above our weight. There was recognition by the Commonwealth of the special needs and challenges of the Territory, and also the capacity of the Territory to actually undertake this work of reducing elective surgery waiting lists. We were allocated 500 places for that $5.3m. That is 500 additional places on top of what we normally do in elective surgery.
Once again, it is a recognition of what the Territory did when we had an elective surgery blitz in 2007 that saw a 16% reduction in the overall list but, most importantly, over a 30% reduction in those that were overdue on the waiting list. We have been kicking goals and, with the help of the Commonwealth government, we will kick further goals.
I make an observation that the ministerial council was a harmonious meeting. Basically, all sides - Commonwealth, states and territories - were able to put a point of view. There was a real sense of working together. That was in stark contrast to other ministerial councils I have attended with Tony Abbott as the Health minister. I have nothing personal against Tony Abbott, I quite like him, but he was disengaged and disinterested, and we know why from the result of the federal election in November of last year.
There is a new air of cooperation at a federal level and I certainly recognise that. Our focus now with the money that we have will be in surgical specialities such as ear, nose and throat, ophthalmology, with high demand areas also in orthopaedics and general surgery.
It is significant that the member for Macdonnell has asked this question, because what we will be doing also is focusing on elective surgery patients living in the more remote regions of the Northern Territory who have been waiting. This will need a lot more coordination of surgery for patients travelling from remote communities to the hospitals. There will be a greater call on interpreter services, liaison support and education. This is a very expensive exercise.
Part of the agreement between the states and territories and the Commonwealth is that there will be a reporting mechanism that will be transparent for all to see. This is a very important element that is moving forward. The surgery will be through the five public hospitals in the Territory, and also include Darwin Private Hospital where beds have been allocated to take these surgical patients after their operation. Significantly for Alice Springs, it will mean the opening of the third theatre, which will be utilised very heavily.
Madam Speaker, it is a new age of cooperation between federal, state and territory governments. I am keen for it to continue. There are other things on our agenda as Health ministers. We have now met three times and we have another meeting coming up at the end of this month, specifically around the new Australian Health Care Agreement. That will be a broader agreement than has occurred before. We will be looking at ways to keep supports within the community to keep people out of the hospitals and, for those who have been in hospital, support in the community so that they do not have to come back.
We are looking in a more holistic way at the health and hospital agreements. It is all possible, I believe, through having a federal government that is willing to sit down and talk but, not only that, is willing to put money on the table to achieve what we all want, which is better health for Territorians.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for her important question. On 14 January, along with the Treasurer, I attended a meeting in Brisbane of Commonwealth, state and territory Treasurers and Health ministers. The main point of discussion for us as Health ministers was the offer - it was on the table, more than an offer - of $600m over four years from the federal government to reduce elective surgery waiting lists.
The first tranche of that $600m was $150m that was on the table. Out of that, the Territory received $5.3m to reduce our elective surgery waiting lists. With approximately 1% of the Australian population, that is certainly punching above our weight. There was recognition by the Commonwealth of the special needs and challenges of the Territory, and also the capacity of the Territory to actually undertake this work of reducing elective surgery waiting lists. We were allocated 500 places for that $5.3m. That is 500 additional places on top of what we normally do in elective surgery.
Once again, it is a recognition of what the Territory did when we had an elective surgery blitz in 2007 that saw a 16% reduction in the overall list but, most importantly, over a 30% reduction in those that were overdue on the waiting list. We have been kicking goals and, with the help of the Commonwealth government, we will kick further goals.
I make an observation that the ministerial council was a harmonious meeting. Basically, all sides - Commonwealth, states and territories - were able to put a point of view. There was a real sense of working together. That was in stark contrast to other ministerial councils I have attended with Tony Abbott as the Health minister. I have nothing personal against Tony Abbott, I quite like him, but he was disengaged and disinterested, and we know why from the result of the federal election in November of last year.
There is a new air of cooperation at a federal level and I certainly recognise that. Our focus now with the money that we have will be in surgical specialities such as ear, nose and throat, ophthalmology, with high demand areas also in orthopaedics and general surgery.
It is significant that the member for Macdonnell has asked this question, because what we will be doing also is focusing on elective surgery patients living in the more remote regions of the Northern Territory who have been waiting. This will need a lot more coordination of surgery for patients travelling from remote communities to the hospitals. There will be a greater call on interpreter services, liaison support and education. This is a very expensive exercise.
Part of the agreement between the states and territories and the Commonwealth is that there will be a reporting mechanism that will be transparent for all to see. This is a very important element that is moving forward. The surgery will be through the five public hospitals in the Territory, and also include Darwin Private Hospital where beds have been allocated to take these surgical patients after their operation. Significantly for Alice Springs, it will mean the opening of the third theatre, which will be utilised very heavily.
Madam Speaker, it is a new age of cooperation between federal, state and territory governments. I am keen for it to continue. There are other things on our agenda as Health ministers. We have now met three times and we have another meeting coming up at the end of this month, specifically around the new Australian Health Care Agreement. That will be a broader agreement than has occurred before. We will be looking at ways to keep supports within the community to keep people out of the hospitals and, for those who have been in hospital, support in the community so that they do not have to come back.
We are looking in a more holistic way at the health and hospital agreements. It is all possible, I believe, through having a federal government that is willing to sit down and talk but, not only that, is willing to put money on the table to achieve what we all want, which is better health for Territorians.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016