Page 1718 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 7 June 2022
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presentation at the Tuggeranong walk-in centre. Unfortunately, there have been a few instances where the Tuggeranong walk-in centre has been closed for either a few hours or a couple of days over the past couple of months due to very high demand across our health services and staffing constraints.
The decision to close the service is based on system pressures, which we have talked about a lot in this place, and includes walk-in centre staff shortages related to team members quarantining at home with COVID-19 or as household contacts, in addition to the usual winter illnesses that result in unplanned leave across walk-in centre services. An exception to that reason for closure was last weekend when staff were redeployed to the Canberra Hospital emergency department to assist with extensive unplanned leave and keep the emergency department operational.
Tuggeranong walk-in centre has, of course, remained open whenever there is a walk-in centre workforce to provide a safe service to the community. There is also a safety factor for walk-in centres in ensuring there are a sufficient number of staff to maintain a safe environment for both staff and patients.
MR DAVIS: Minister, can you confirm that it is the government’s intention to retain the Tuggeranong walk-in centre’s current service model?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Mr Davis. Absolutely. Walk-in centres provide a very important model of care. We are, of course, also committed to establishing a walk-in health centre in south Tuggeranong, which will complement the services provided by the walk-in centre in Tuggeranong and, indeed, the walk-in centre that is available at Weston Creek. On the occasions when Tuggeranong is closed, people are directed to Weston Creek as the next closest walk-in centre. Weston Creek is the largest walk-in centre in terms of the number of treatment rooms that are available.
This is a very important model of care, supporting Canberrans who have minor injury and illness to get quick care, free of charge, at the point of service and taking pressure off our emergency departments. We remain committed to this model.
MS CLAY: Minister, can you tell me the closure rate for the Belconnen walk-in centre and how it compares with the Tuggeranong centre?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I do not recall Belconnen walk-in centre having been closed recently as a result of these same pressures. Belconnen walk-in centre is our busiest walk-in centre. It is an extraordinarily well-regarded service, as they all are, and is very busy. One of our decisions around redistributing staff is to make sure that those busy and more central walk-in centres are able to continue to support our community when we have to adjust our staffing levels. Belconnen, obviously, is a key part of that system.
Canberra Institute of Technology—procurement
MR MILLIGAN: Madam Speaker, my question is to the Minister for Skills. Minister, freedom of information documents show that CIT ignored Government Procurement Board advice about improving the tender specifications and processes
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