Mr CONLAN - 2008-09-17
According to The State of Our Public Hospitals Report of the Northern Territory, patients have only a 69% chance of having their elective surgery completed within the recommended time. Ten per cent of all elective surgery patients have to wait more than 365 days - over one year - for their surgery. And this is the minister who thinks everything is all right. With results such as these, why will you not support a full public inquiry into the state of our Territory hospitals?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am familiar with the statistics that the member for Greatorex is alluding to, but as members …
Members interjecting.
Dr BURNS: Please show some courtesy and listen to the answer. The question has been asked, I am answering it.
The statistics that the member for Greatorex is alluding to are statistics that were gathered before the elective surgery blitz that we invested so heavily in last year, with a 30% reduction in waitlist times, particularly for those patients who had been waiting the longest.
On top of that, the new Commonwealth government put a significant amount of extra money into elective surgery right around the country, including the Northern Territory. I have every confidence that the waitlist times and the times that people are waiting, the percentage of people who are waiting, will be significantly reduced when the next statistics come around.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am familiar with the statistics that the member for Greatorex is alluding to, but as members …
Members interjecting.
Dr BURNS: Please show some courtesy and listen to the answer. The question has been asked, I am answering it.
The statistics that the member for Greatorex is alluding to are statistics that were gathered before the elective surgery blitz that we invested so heavily in last year, with a 30% reduction in waitlist times, particularly for those patients who had been waiting the longest.
On top of that, the new Commonwealth government put a significant amount of extra money into elective surgery right around the country, including the Northern Territory. I have every confidence that the waitlist times and the times that people are waiting, the percentage of people who are waiting, will be significantly reduced when the next statistics come around.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016