Page 870 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 27 March 1990
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Government's behalf the planning, design and construction of this project. To ensure that broader community interests are also properly taken into account, the Government intends to include community representation on this body.
I want to speak now about the ratio of public to private hospital beds. I have concentrated so far on the ACT public hospitals, which will always be the major part of the hospital system providing the higher level services and always being ready to meet the needs of those not wishing to access private hospitals. However, private hospital beds are provided at no cost to the Territory budget. Present approvals are for 271 private beds - that is, 151 at John James and 120 at Calvary.
With an overall bed target of 1,300 acute hospital beds, this represents a proportion of 21 per cent. This proportion is below that in most other States. Expanding Calvary public hospital to its full capacity would result in the closure of the 50 private beds presently operating within the building. In order to achieve an appropriate public-private mix of services, approval will now be given for the development of a new private hospital of around 150 beds to be located in north Canberra. This means that the capacity of the private sector to provide services complementary to those of the public sector will be maximised and brought more into line with the level of private services available in other States.
Mr Speaker, members will be anxious to know what possible alternative uses of the Acton Peninsula site there might be. The transfer of Royal Canberra Hospital will provide the opportunity to revitalise the use of this beautiful peninsula through the parallel development of community recreational facilities and a range of public health related activities which, the Government has decided, will be located on the site.
The National Capital Plan provides for a large area of designated open space on the Royal Canberra Hospital site. This area was set aside and preserved for public recreational use. The Government will ensure that access to this is made easier for all the residents of Canberra and will improve its general amenity for the benefit of visitors, workers and residents.
The site has the capacity to accommodate new health facilities and is well suited to such uses. The Government has decided to relocate the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Home for mothers and babies and the Jindalee Nursing Home to the Acton Peninsula site. The Government will proceed with these projects as part of the overall hospital redevelopment program. The Government will encourage the provision of child care facilities convenient to the Woden Valley and Calvary Hospitals and the Acton Peninsula site, on condition that funding is sought and provided through the Commonwealth's children's services program. In the
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .