Page 6404 - Week 19 - Tuesday, 17 December 1991
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3.
AS SUCH, THAT WOULD ALSO MEAN THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO ASSESS WHETHER THE GOVERNMENTS PROPOSED REDUCTION IN THE HEALTH BUDGET IS REALISTICALLY COMPATIBLE WITH THE MAINTENANCE OF HIGH QUALITY SERVICES. MEMBERS SAW THIS AS PERHAPS THE CENTRAL ISSUE IN THE INQUIRY, AND ONE WHICH COULD NOT LIGHTLY BE PUT ASIDE ON THE BASIS THAT AN ANSWER COULD NOT EMPIRICALLY AND CONCLUSIVELY BE DETERMINED. THERE WERE HOWEVER INDICATORS OF THE CONSIDERABLE AMBITION ENTAILED IN MEETING THE TARGETS THE GOVERNMENT HAD SET FOR THE SYSTEM. COMPARISONS WITH N.S.W. WERE MOST REVEALING:
- IN N.S.W. A BED/POPULATION RATIO OF 4.6 BEDS PER THOUSAND COMPARES WITH OURS OF 3.72 BEDS PER THOUSAND (GIVING SOME 20% MORE BEDS IN THE N.S.W. SYSTEM)
- THE LEVEL OF DAY SURGERY USE IN N.S.W. (DAY SURGERY BEING, WHERE WE ARE TOLD, AN ESSENTIAL TOOL IN IMPROVING THROUGHPUT) IS NEAR TO THE NATIONAL AVERAGE, WHEREAS THAT IN THE A.C.T. IS ABOUT HALF THE NATIONAL AVERAGE. INDEED A MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL DAY SURGERY COMMITTEE WHO APPEARED BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ADVISED THAT IT WOULD BE TEN YEARS BEFORE DAY SURGERY WAS ABLE TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON NUMBERS IN EITHER THE PUBLIC OR PRIVATE SECTORS.
- THE PROPORTION OF PRIVATE BED USE IN N.S.W. IS CONSIDERABLY HIGHER THAN IN THE A.C.T. (THE PROPORTION OF PRIVATE BED USE EVERYWHERE ELSE IS HIGHER THAN IN THE A.C.T.). THE RESULT IS THAT THE A.C.T. IS MUCH MORE DEPENDANT ON ITS PUBLIC HOSPITAL SYSTEM, AND THE BEDS THEREIN, FOR THE DELIVERY OF HOSPITAL SERVICES
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