Page 1062 - Week 04 - Thursday, 29 March 1990
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not more responsive to the Government's very major commitments in the areas of convalescent and hospice facilities because they are one of the most significant developments that have occurred - in fact, I would go further than that - they are the most significant developments in these areas that have ever occurred in the ACT. This Government has gone further with respect to those things than any previous government has gone, and I think it is unfortunate that we have not had a little more acknowledgement for that.
The committee recommended that a convalescent facility be proceeded with and that a 20-place hospice be developed. This Alliance Government, as part of the hospitals redevelopment project - in fact, because of the hospitals redevelopment project - has agreed that these facilities will be provided. This is, I believe, of very great significance.
As I have said before, the redevelopment of the hospital system will give us the opportunity to further improve the range and quality of our health services. That is not just because we have to reorganise things. It is because the savings that we will make in the area of hospital redevelopment, particularly by providing only a two-hospital rather than a three-hospital system, will free up valuable health dollars, some of which will have to be saved but some of which can be spent on additional important health items. Of those, as this committee recommended, a hospice is very important.
The convalescent facility has also come very close to the top of the health item agenda. Subject to the availability of Commonwealth funding, I think that the convalescent facility should make special provision for the special needs of veterans. I am not sure whether that was referred to in the committee's report, but if it was not that is an issue that needs to be faced up to in Canberra. At this very stage the Department of Health is working to bring forward detailed proposals for early consideration. I mentioned on Tuesday that the inquiry by ITPA will quickly identify a range of issues that need to be faced up to in terms of the use of the Acton Peninsula site, but I think that that is one of a number of exciting options for it.
Let me turn to nursing home requirements in the ACT. The Alliance Government recognises that the need for nursing home and hostel places in the ACT does warrant examination. Much of that depends on the position of the Commonwealth since it plays such a large role in the provision of nursing home beds in the ACT. The current Commonwealth formula provides for some 40 nursing home places per 1,000 people aged over 70 years. Whether or not that is satisfactory across the board in other places than the ACT, I do not think it is satisfactory in the ACT. I do not think it is adequate for our future needs. We will have to negotiate with the Commonwealth for a realistic allocation of nursing home places.
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