Ms CARTER - 2003-04-30
Minister, as a result of your cost cutting, surgery generally at Alice Springs Hospital has been reduced, and I have heard that elective surgery has now been cancelled until the end of June. By reducing the availability of surgery at the hospital, the result is that the surgical ward is now full of people waiting for operations. I was told by a patient earlier this week that patients are being fasted day after day in preparation for operations that are cancelled time and time again because of a lack of operating theatre staff. When are you going to staff your operating theatres at Alice Springs so that Centralians do not have to suffer?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I do hope my voice will last for the whole of Question Time. Around three weeks ago, I announced that there would be a slowdown in elective surgery at Alice Springs Hospital. It is a slowdown which, I would have to say, is not something that any Health minister would want to happen in any of the hospitals in the Northern Territory. However, when you are faced with the position that you do not have sufficient anaesthetists in Alice Springs to undertake the surgery, you obviously cannot have that kind of surgery.
We were faced with the situation where we have had to slow down elective surgery. Now, by saying that, all urgent surgery and all urgent elective surgery has continued, and that has essentially been a clinical decision.
There have been a lot of strange stories put about by the opposition regarding these anaesthetists. In fact, there has been a story that they are simply on long service leave. The little part of the equation they left out was that, yes, there were two anaesthetists on long service leave, but they were also leaving, so we had to advertise their positions.
I am very pleased to be able to tell the people of Alice Springs that we have been able to secure two anaesthetists for Alice Springs. I have to say, in getting specialists for remote areas, this is a fantastic result, one that indicates that the Alice Springs Hospital is, in fact, a very good hospital.
I have noticed that in the gallery tonight is the Chairperson of the Alice Springs Hospital Management Board, Mrs Margaret Wait. She has been very enthusiastic about the Alice Springs Hospital for many years. I would like to congratulate the Alice Springs Hospital because, very recently, they were accredited. This is the first time this hospital has been accredited, and it is a fantastic effort for the whole of Alice Springs, and particularly the very hard working staff of the Alice Springs Hospital.
I would also like to put on the record that there is another big furphy going around about ophthalmological surgery, and that this does not require any form of anaesthetic. The clinical view of the ophthalmologist at the Alice Springs Hospital is (a) that no surgery was cancelled of that type because there was none scheduled, because this was the time when the ophthalmologist did his regular tour to Tennant Creek, so there was none cancelled at all; and (b) that although he does the general block for that kind of surgery, it is generally considered the most clinically sensible thing. In fact, what he wishes to happen, is that there is always an anaesthetist on hand in case there is some kind of problem, and that they need an anaesthetist to come in and sort out that problem.
So, Madam Speaker, (a) the surgery was not cancelled; but (b) you do definitely need an anaesthetist around if you are having eye surgery.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I do hope my voice will last for the whole of Question Time. Around three weeks ago, I announced that there would be a slowdown in elective surgery at Alice Springs Hospital. It is a slowdown which, I would have to say, is not something that any Health minister would want to happen in any of the hospitals in the Northern Territory. However, when you are faced with the position that you do not have sufficient anaesthetists in Alice Springs to undertake the surgery, you obviously cannot have that kind of surgery.
We were faced with the situation where we have had to slow down elective surgery. Now, by saying that, all urgent surgery and all urgent elective surgery has continued, and that has essentially been a clinical decision.
There have been a lot of strange stories put about by the opposition regarding these anaesthetists. In fact, there has been a story that they are simply on long service leave. The little part of the equation they left out was that, yes, there were two anaesthetists on long service leave, but they were also leaving, so we had to advertise their positions.
I am very pleased to be able to tell the people of Alice Springs that we have been able to secure two anaesthetists for Alice Springs. I have to say, in getting specialists for remote areas, this is a fantastic result, one that indicates that the Alice Springs Hospital is, in fact, a very good hospital.
I have noticed that in the gallery tonight is the Chairperson of the Alice Springs Hospital Management Board, Mrs Margaret Wait. She has been very enthusiastic about the Alice Springs Hospital for many years. I would like to congratulate the Alice Springs Hospital because, very recently, they were accredited. This is the first time this hospital has been accredited, and it is a fantastic effort for the whole of Alice Springs, and particularly the very hard working staff of the Alice Springs Hospital.
I would also like to put on the record that there is another big furphy going around about ophthalmological surgery, and that this does not require any form of anaesthetic. The clinical view of the ophthalmologist at the Alice Springs Hospital is (a) that no surgery was cancelled of that type because there was none scheduled, because this was the time when the ophthalmologist did his regular tour to Tennant Creek, so there was none cancelled at all; and (b) that although he does the general block for that kind of surgery, it is generally considered the most clinically sensible thing. In fact, what he wishes to happen, is that there is always an anaesthetist on hand in case there is some kind of problem, and that they need an anaesthetist to come in and sort out that problem.
So, Madam Speaker, (a) the surgery was not cancelled; but (b) you do definitely need an anaesthetist around if you are having eye surgery.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016