Mr CONLAN - 2011-11-30
Do not think we are going to let your incompetence off the hook today, minister. We have a question for you regarding the disastrous Australian hospital statistics report. The Territory’s health system is at the bottom of the class, it is the worst in the country; you have seen that. It is highlighted here in black and white for those who might be bothered to read it. Now, despite the opposition giving you the opportunity today to take 15 minutes to outline how our health system got to this point, will you spend perhaps just three minutes explaining to Territorians why Territory hospital waiting lists are in such a shambles and when we can see some real improvement? If that is not long enough, we are happy to move another motion to suspend standing orders to give you more time so you can explain it in some detail.
ANSWER
Madam Acting Speaker, I will not need much time. I will be very brief. The attention span of the member opposite is very short, so I will give a short answer.
The Territory health system is one of the best systems in Australia, and that is shown in the report. Despite the attempt by the member opposite to portray our system as bad, we have a system where we have implemented nurses per patient days; we have increased the number of nurses in the Territory hospitals significantly; we have in excess of 2000 nurses; and we have brought in more doctors. We have a state-of-the-art oncology unit which came in under us. Regarding elective surgery, we are much better than Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania; with 50% of people having to wait less than the prescribed time of the national average. We are luckier than New South Wales and Tasmania where people have to wait more than 365 days. Waiting times at the emergency department is just that - waiting times.
I will give you an example so that you can understand. If you go to the emergency department and you are triaged as Category 2, you have to be seen within 10 minutes. If you are seen in 11 minutes, you are not included in the numbers, but that does not compromise the quality of care you receive from the doctors and nurses in the emergency department.
On the other hand, when you have 60% of the population turning up to the emergency department each year and 90 000 of them can attend a GP which we do not have in the Territory, there is a problem. If you want to know why we do not have the GPs in the Territory, the question should be asked of the current federal Leader of the Opposition, who, as minister for Health, cut the number of training positions for doctors and nurses. The then minister, Tony Abbott, changed the funding formula for the hospital from 50:50 state and Commonwealth to 30% from the Commonwealth and 70% from the states, creating significant underspending in hospitals, and a significant lack of doctors in Australia. All this was caused by the incompetence of the previous Health minister, Tony Abbott.
The member opposite can laugh as much as he likes. I point out that thousands of Territorians go through our system and receive excellent care. After all, if the member opposite does not have such faith in our system, why did he have both his children delivered in the public hospital in Alice Springs?
Mr Conlan: It was the only hospital in town.
Members interjecting.
Madam ACTING SPEAKER: Order! Member for Greatorex, cease interjecting! Member for Greatorex, you will find yourself on a warning very quickly.
ANSWER
Madam Acting Speaker, I will not need much time. I will be very brief. The attention span of the member opposite is very short, so I will give a short answer.
The Territory health system is one of the best systems in Australia, and that is shown in the report. Despite the attempt by the member opposite to portray our system as bad, we have a system where we have implemented nurses per patient days; we have increased the number of nurses in the Territory hospitals significantly; we have in excess of 2000 nurses; and we have brought in more doctors. We have a state-of-the-art oncology unit which came in under us. Regarding elective surgery, we are much better than Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania; with 50% of people having to wait less than the prescribed time of the national average. We are luckier than New South Wales and Tasmania where people have to wait more than 365 days. Waiting times at the emergency department is just that - waiting times.
I will give you an example so that you can understand. If you go to the emergency department and you are triaged as Category 2, you have to be seen within 10 minutes. If you are seen in 11 minutes, you are not included in the numbers, but that does not compromise the quality of care you receive from the doctors and nurses in the emergency department.
On the other hand, when you have 60% of the population turning up to the emergency department each year and 90 000 of them can attend a GP which we do not have in the Territory, there is a problem. If you want to know why we do not have the GPs in the Territory, the question should be asked of the current federal Leader of the Opposition, who, as minister for Health, cut the number of training positions for doctors and nurses. The then minister, Tony Abbott, changed the funding formula for the hospital from 50:50 state and Commonwealth to 30% from the Commonwealth and 70% from the states, creating significant underspending in hospitals, and a significant lack of doctors in Australia. All this was caused by the incompetence of the previous Health minister, Tony Abbott.
The member opposite can laugh as much as he likes. I point out that thousands of Territorians go through our system and receive excellent care. After all, if the member opposite does not have such faith in our system, why did he have both his children delivered in the public hospital in Alice Springs?
Mr Conlan: It was the only hospital in town.
Members interjecting.
Madam ACTING SPEAKER: Order! Member for Greatorex, cease interjecting! Member for Greatorex, you will find yourself on a warning very quickly.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016