Page 1449 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 26 September 1989
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relation to this very sensitive issue. As a consequence of the very nature of our health system and the position members of our community find themselves in when they have to use those services, if there is an emotion-driven debate about the hospital system in the course of the requirement for people to use our services, it makes their period of use, I would suggest, more uncomfortable. I think that needs to be avoided wherever possible.
I note that the Liberal Party has decided not to rush in on this issue, and indeed nor has the Government, but if the Liberal Party wants to have its view taken into account in the process of the development of a government decision on it, it cannot wait forever. Mind you, if the Liberal Party wishes to reserve its right of criticism until after the announcement is made about the future of our hospital system, then I think that would be a fairly negative outlook. I hope that that would not be a course upon which the Liberal Party would rely.
Mr Humphries: That is not the intention.
MR BERRY: I thank Mr Humphries for his indication that that is not the intention of the Liberal Party. It is incumbent on the Government to come up with a decision. We have a very important report and an important range of submissions before us and we have to make decisions on them. I would just like to dwell briefly on the issue of the relative efficiency of the hospitals. I am not sure if that is the right term, Mr Speaker. In fact, I am reasonably confident that it is not the right term when one takes into account the sorts of figures that have been raised in the debate here today.
Comparisons were made between the bed costs at Calvary, Woden Valley and Royal Canberra hospitals. Mr Moore quite rightly said that they are not always an appropriate measure of the efficiency of hospitals because of the range of services provided at the individual establishments. It is well known that the hospitals are quite different in their delivery of services to the community. If one hospital provides a comprehensive service in all of the very expensive specialties, then it can be expected that the daily bed costs would be expensive - more expensive if it provides accident and emergency services. As you well know, Mr Speaker, the costs can be more expensive in a major hospital.
I should say before I go on too much further, Mr Speaker, that it is not my aim to argue the steering committee report in the course of this debate, but just to respond to some of the issues raised by individual speakers. One of those issues was that which was raised by Mr Moore in relation to the logical spot occupied by the Canberra Hospital and of course in relation to the Australian National University. The Government has to consider that aspect of it when it is looking at the report.
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