Page 1632 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 30 April 1991
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MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I am gratified to see that Mr Moore is finally talking about issues that go to the heart of cost cutting and savings in our health system. Most of the time I have heard Mr Moore complain about a shortage of nurses and about the lack of resources and the lack of facilities in our hospital system. So, it is nice to see that Mr Moore has finally turned his attention to what I think is a more important issue in the long term, which is, how we manage within the resources we have at the present time.
Mr Speaker, I cannot tell Mr Moore exactly how many level 4 nurses there are right at this moment in the hospital system. I can certainly give him that advice on notice, and I do not think he will have to wait very long for it. I am quite certain that the number will be no larger than it was when Mr Berry took office, and I can also assure those opposite that the process is in train to ensure that there are very substantial reductions in the numbers of level 3 and 4 nurses. Will Mr Moore complain when we do that?
Mr Speaker, on 6 July last year we received a report from the nurses career structure review, which comprehensively explained the case for reducing the number of level 3 and 4 nurses. That was a report that I commissioned to obtain a proper approach to the question of the number of nurses that we needed in that level of our hospital system. I am quite certain that there have been negotiations on a reduction in the number of those nurses. It may be that the number, in fact, is quite substantially reduced. I will be happy to advise those opposite as soon as I have accurate figures. But, Mr Speaker, I am not going to advise those opposite about numbers that I do not have at my fingertips. I will provide them in answer to Mr Moore's question when I have those exact numbers. I think that those opposite will find that this Government has acted decisively to deal with that problem.
MR MOORE: I have a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. While we are on that, 772 beds were in the combined Royal Canberra and Woden Valley hospitals at that time. What is the number of beds now, Minister?
MR HUMPHRIES: Hang on; I will tell you if you want. Mr Speaker, the information was supplied only a few weeks ago to Mr Berry. Contrary to impressions from those opposite, I do not get up-to-date daily reports of the number of beds in the hospital system. To ask for that would be unnecessary and a consumption of valuable resources within the hospital system. I certainly know, Mr Speaker, that the number of beds has not changed significantly since the day that Mr Berry left office.
Ms Follett: Are you quite sure, very sure or almost sure?
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