Page 3447 - Week 10 - Thursday, 20 October 2022
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an eight-week period with stakeholder consultation, to understand issues and identify causes of those issues and the potential solutions.
The purpose of the review was to provide a three-year plan with actions to be implemented to ensure that the paediatrics department at Canberra Hospital delivers on the vision of creating exceptional health care together. A detailed working document was produced by Canberra Health Services, known as the CHS Department of Paediatrics Organisational and Service Plan 2021-2023.
In the Assembly on 21 September 2022, I outlined that work would be undertaken to look at what we could release out of that review. I have now tabled a copy of the executive summary and main body of the review that has been de-identified, and with sensitive internal CHS working information removed.
I am committed to ensuring transparency, and I want to again reassure the ACT community that the ACT government takes seriously its role in caring for children and young people. That is why this work was commissioned—to deliver on the vision of creating together exceptional health care.
CHS has commenced key actions from the review, including governance realignment of paediatric neonatology and clinical support functions. A senior project leader has been recruited to oversee the implementation and ongoing monitoring of the plan. This senior role continues to oversee key projects for the division of women, youth and children.
Significant actions to date have included the realignment of the paediatric surgery specialty, and the appointment of an assistant director of nursing, ADON, for paediatrics, to enhance operational and strategic leadership within paediatrics and neonatology.
Committees and working groups have also been established, or were already set up, tasked with undertaking work as part of implementing the findings of the review. For example, I have outlined previously in the Assembly the considerable work that has been undertaken by the care of the deteriorating child working group, to ensure that the care of unwell children is formalised, effective and appropriately networked with New South Wales.
In the 2022-23 ACT budget, more than $4.8 million has been appropriated to increase specialist health services for children and young people, and there is more than $16Â million to increase the number of allied health professionals across Canberra Hospital, which will support multidisciplinary teams and include expanding service provision in both the Canberra Hospital and the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children.
In the 2021-22 ACT budget, $6.4 million was invested to implement patient navigation, starting with a paediatric liaison and navigation service, now known as PLANS, which has been developed with the Health Care Consumers Association and has now commenced delivering services with families.
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