Page 1623 - Week 06 - Thursday, 3 May 1990
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supported by the previous Government and will produce a much better result in terms of quality of service.
I turn to private hospital development and bed numbers. These decisions recognise that by the year 2000, with our growing and ageing population - and I am very aware of that comment - the number of public hospital beds required in the ACT will reach 1,000 from the current level of 900. I urge all members to look at that demographic curve of the people over 60 moving up to 65 onwards.
There will also be a requirement for an increase in private hospital beds. Currently, 13 per cent of the hospital beds in the ACT are provided in private hospitals. This percentage is significantly higher elsewhere in Australia. Victoria's percentage is around 30 per cent and in New South Wales it is around 25 per cent. (Quorum formed)
According to the most recent census data available from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, around 53 per cent of people in the ACT carry private health insurance. This is higher than the Australian average of 47 per cent. Having a high proportion of privately health insured people and the lowest proportion of private hospital beds has meant that a high volume of the usage of public hospital beds has been provided to private patients. The public hospital system does not recover the full cost of treating private patients.
The Alliance Government has therefore decided that it will approve the development of a new 150-bed private hospital in north Canberra to bring private hospital beds up to around 25 per cent. This decision will increase the choice of facilities for those who are privately insured. So, in order to provide the highest quality health care for the people of Canberra as soon as possible, the Government will be moving quickly to implement its decisions.
MR STEFANIAK (3.51): I think that the hospital decision taken by this Government is one of the most significant decisions taken by the Assembly in the short 11 months it has existed. Because it is such a major decision - and I think a lot of people thought there would be a huge hue and cry about it - it is interesting that the reaction has been surprisingly restrained and sensible and a lot of the criticism somewhat mute. Indeed, that is typical when one considers that this question has been around for a long time.
Perhaps the people of Canberra realise that with self-government we have to economise, we have to get value for our limited dollars. They also perhaps realise that there is a need to progress. Things cannot stay exactly the same as they were in 1940 or 1950, 1960, 1980 or 1990. There has to be change. Indeed, I am amazed that members of the Opposition accuse members on this side of the house of being conservatives on this issue. It is they who are being conservatives. It is they who do not want to change at all and who cannot see the need for change.
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