Mr BONSON - 2004-05-19
Can the minister please advise the House how Budget 2004 will benefit the health of Territorians, and support the Martin government’s Building Healthier Communities five-year framework.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Millner for an excellent question. I am proud to be able to deliver a record health budget for Territorians. The budget will build on the progress we have already made towards creating a genuinely sustainable, responsive, and effective health system.
Members interjecting.
Dr TOYNE: The results of the 2003 …
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
A member interjecting.
Dr TOYNE: The results of the 2003 … Would you like to finish?
Madam SPEAKER: Order! I would like to hear the minister’s reply.
Dr TOYNE: The results of 2003-04 represent the first budget in a decade where the Department of Health and Community Services is expected to deliver a budget outcome in line with predictions. This is no small achievement, both in terms of the recent history of the Territory compared with other states around Australia …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Dr TOYNE: This budget sees an additional $23.7m committed to the system, bringing the total Health and Community Services budget for the Territory to $635.4m in 2004-05. This injection of funds into our health system will see the creation of an additional 71 new nursing positions, 65 of them for our hospital system during the 2004-05 financial year. Our hospitals and other acute care services receive an estimated $18.6m increase in the next financial year, with total funding of $357.9m.
It gives me particular pleasure to advise the House that the Alice Springs Hospital will receive an additional $11m injection of funds over the next four years to develop a fully integrated intensive care unit/high dependency unit. This will be used to employ a specialist intensivist and 36 additional nursing and support staff, including a dietician, a physiotherapist and pathologist. $2.9m is also included in the capital works program for the Alice Springs Hospital to upgrade fire safety and improve the airconditioning system for the comfort of patients, staff and visitors.
Royal Darwin Hospital will receive additional funding of $2.5m, which I announced this morning at the hospital,, to complete the commissioning of the critical care services. This will allow three additional beds to be opened in high dependency, three additional beds in coronary care, and 10 short stay beds in the emergency department. Two other major projects will be under way at Royal Darwin Hospital during 2004-05. The first of these is the construction of a 12-bed stand-alone hospice, which is due for completion by the end of next financial year at a cost of $3.6m. The other major item for the Royal Darwin Hospital is $2.5m for the establishment of a birthing centre. This will include two new low-tech birth rooms for women who are assessed as having minimal risk of complications, together with an upgrade of the existing four birth rooms and a complete refurbishment of the entire sixth floor.
Our hospitals in Katherine, Gove and Tennant Creek will also benefit, with funding increased by $1m to $39.7m, improving services in our regional areas. These facts underline the claim that the Leader of the Opposition made this morning that this government is closing hospital beds. I will table a list of hospital beds before we came to power and the current numbers. In summary, when we came to power, 567 hospital in total through the Territory …
Members interjecting.
Dr TOYNE: It is all here, hospital by hospital ...
Mr Dunham: 567?
Dr TOYNE: 567 beds. How many beds are there now? 619 beds..
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Millner for an excellent question. I am proud to be able to deliver a record health budget for Territorians. The budget will build on the progress we have already made towards creating a genuinely sustainable, responsive, and effective health system.
Members interjecting.
Dr TOYNE: The results of the 2003 …
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
A member interjecting.
Dr TOYNE: The results of the 2003 … Would you like to finish?
Madam SPEAKER: Order! I would like to hear the minister’s reply.
Dr TOYNE: The results of 2003-04 represent the first budget in a decade where the Department of Health and Community Services is expected to deliver a budget outcome in line with predictions. This is no small achievement, both in terms of the recent history of the Territory compared with other states around Australia …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Dr TOYNE: This budget sees an additional $23.7m committed to the system, bringing the total Health and Community Services budget for the Territory to $635.4m in 2004-05. This injection of funds into our health system will see the creation of an additional 71 new nursing positions, 65 of them for our hospital system during the 2004-05 financial year. Our hospitals and other acute care services receive an estimated $18.6m increase in the next financial year, with total funding of $357.9m.
It gives me particular pleasure to advise the House that the Alice Springs Hospital will receive an additional $11m injection of funds over the next four years to develop a fully integrated intensive care unit/high dependency unit. This will be used to employ a specialist intensivist and 36 additional nursing and support staff, including a dietician, a physiotherapist and pathologist. $2.9m is also included in the capital works program for the Alice Springs Hospital to upgrade fire safety and improve the airconditioning system for the comfort of patients, staff and visitors.
Royal Darwin Hospital will receive additional funding of $2.5m, which I announced this morning at the hospital,, to complete the commissioning of the critical care services. This will allow three additional beds to be opened in high dependency, three additional beds in coronary care, and 10 short stay beds in the emergency department. Two other major projects will be under way at Royal Darwin Hospital during 2004-05. The first of these is the construction of a 12-bed stand-alone hospice, which is due for completion by the end of next financial year at a cost of $3.6m. The other major item for the Royal Darwin Hospital is $2.5m for the establishment of a birthing centre. This will include two new low-tech birth rooms for women who are assessed as having minimal risk of complications, together with an upgrade of the existing four birth rooms and a complete refurbishment of the entire sixth floor.
Our hospitals in Katherine, Gove and Tennant Creek will also benefit, with funding increased by $1m to $39.7m, improving services in our regional areas. These facts underline the claim that the Leader of the Opposition made this morning that this government is closing hospital beds. I will table a list of hospital beds before we came to power and the current numbers. In summary, when we came to power, 567 hospital in total through the Territory …
Members interjecting.
Dr TOYNE: It is all here, hospital by hospital ...
Mr Dunham: 567?
Dr TOYNE: 567 beds. How many beds are there now? 619 beds..
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016