Mr CONLAN - 2008-09-17
The opposition has received a leaked copy of a report on a review of outpatient services at Alice Springs Hospital. The report states that patients awaiting elective surgery who are designated as P1, that is those in need of urgent attention, do not appear on those waiting lists. Does not this practice corrupt the Territory’s elective surgery waiting list times, which are already amongst the worst in the country? Is this not just another excellent example of why we need a full public inquiry into the Territory’s health system?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I welcome the question from the member for Greatorex. It is good that he is asking questions about Alice Springs Hospital. This particular issue is about the outpatient waiting list, not the elective surgery waiting list as you have asserted. I have already mentioned some of the initiatives around elective surgery that have been undertaken by this government, also in collaboration with the new federal government, and they have invested $5.3m into that second tranche of changes.
Yes, a review of the Alice Springs Outpatient Department was commissioned by Alice Springs Hospital management as a quality improvement measure to examine patient flow, clinic capacity and timely discharge. Any organisation, such as a hospital engaged in this type of activity, of course you review your performance internally to see how you can do it better.
The consultant identified a number of pressures, including inadequate number of clinic rooms; long waiting times for appointments; high ‘did not attend’ rate; overbooking and long clinics; and loss of potential revenue. These are problems that have built up over a number of years. Recommendations have come out the review and these are being actioned. These are as follows: an outpatient procedure has been developed to set parameters for the outpatient waiting list attendance and notification to refer of non-attendance; patient flows have been mapped to improve flow; an appropriate mix of nursing and administrative staff; training ward clerks to make outpatient appointments at the time of patient discharge; improving the storage of information and records; review initial measurement on non-attendances at surgical clinics and receival of wrong forms; and administrative staff are being trained to organisation revenue collection.
So, at the end of …
Mr Conlan: It is a long list.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Dr BURNS: You have asked me a question, member for Greatorex, and I am giving you some detail in my answer.
At the end of July 2008, Alice Springs Hospital clinician outpatient waiting lists were reduced from 2991 as at July 2007 to 2530. Visiting Medical Officer waiting lists have increased in the same period. A review of the VMO service demand is being undertaken by the Director of Medical and Clinical Services and the heads of the department to ensure the frequency of VMO visits is aligned with the demand.
That is what has happened. There has been an internal review. There have been recommendations. Those recommendations are being implemented. Obviously, in the information I have given here, there is more to do, and we will do more.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I welcome the question from the member for Greatorex. It is good that he is asking questions about Alice Springs Hospital. This particular issue is about the outpatient waiting list, not the elective surgery waiting list as you have asserted. I have already mentioned some of the initiatives around elective surgery that have been undertaken by this government, also in collaboration with the new federal government, and they have invested $5.3m into that second tranche of changes.
Yes, a review of the Alice Springs Outpatient Department was commissioned by Alice Springs Hospital management as a quality improvement measure to examine patient flow, clinic capacity and timely discharge. Any organisation, such as a hospital engaged in this type of activity, of course you review your performance internally to see how you can do it better.
The consultant identified a number of pressures, including inadequate number of clinic rooms; long waiting times for appointments; high ‘did not attend’ rate; overbooking and long clinics; and loss of potential revenue. These are problems that have built up over a number of years. Recommendations have come out the review and these are being actioned. These are as follows: an outpatient procedure has been developed to set parameters for the outpatient waiting list attendance and notification to refer of non-attendance; patient flows have been mapped to improve flow; an appropriate mix of nursing and administrative staff; training ward clerks to make outpatient appointments at the time of patient discharge; improving the storage of information and records; review initial measurement on non-attendances at surgical clinics and receival of wrong forms; and administrative staff are being trained to organisation revenue collection.
So, at the end of …
Mr Conlan: It is a long list.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Dr BURNS: You have asked me a question, member for Greatorex, and I am giving you some detail in my answer.
At the end of July 2008, Alice Springs Hospital clinician outpatient waiting lists were reduced from 2991 as at July 2007 to 2530. Visiting Medical Officer waiting lists have increased in the same period. A review of the VMO service demand is being undertaken by the Director of Medical and Clinical Services and the heads of the department to ensure the frequency of VMO visits is aligned with the demand.
That is what has happened. There has been an internal review. There have been recommendations. Those recommendations are being implemented. Obviously, in the information I have given here, there is more to do, and we will do more.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016