Page 1906 - Week 07 - Thursday, 20 August 1992
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MADAM SPEAKER: I believe that he is doing so, Mr Kaine. Please proceed, Mr Berry.
MR BERRY: The Minister would be very happy to answer the question, if you tetchy people opposite will be quiet and listen. The issue of beds per thousand is one that is in mind at all times; but, as the Leader of the Opposition would know, the Labor Government has been focusing on the delivery of quality health care services in the ACT, and will continue to do so. In fact, what we have done in the ACT has never been done in the past. In the ACT we have managed the hospital system so that the financial management has been up to scratch; it has been on track. That is quite in contrast with what occurred under the leadership of Mr Kaine. Mr Kaine was in charge of a government which was unable to manage the finances in our hospital system. That is an important - - -
Mr Humphries: I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. The question was very simple. It was about bed numbers. Mr Berry has not spoken about that at all so far. I ask that he be directed to answer the question.
MADAM SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Humphries.
MR BERRY: The management of finances within our hospitals is the basis of providing beds for hospital patients. If you cannot manage the finances, like those opposite, then you cannot complain about how anybody else would. If you cannot stick to the amount of money that you have been provided with to manage your hospitals, if you spend unapproved moneys, you are in deep trouble when it comes to the management of a hospital system.
When it comes to the provision of hospital beds in our system, I think the Liberal members opposite should have a look at the performance of Health this year. If they want a good example of how to manage a hospital system, they will see that the average length of stay in our hospital system has fallen fairly rapidly. We have been able to service over one per cent more - - -
Mr Humphries: Madam Speaker, I repeat my point of order. The Minister has not even started to answer the question about why health bed numbers are falling in the ACT, when the Macklin report says that they should be rising. Can the Minister please answer the question?
MADAM SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Humphries. Please proceed and answer the question, Mr Berry.
MR BERRY: We have managed to provide services to more people in the hospital system with fewer beds. The Macklin report is not just about the number of beds per thousand head of population; it is about providing better hospital services to the people of the ACT. The Labor Party will do that.
Mr Humphries: It is about more beds.
MR BERRY: It is not just about more beds; it is about a whole range of services within the public hospital system. We have increased the number of people who have used our public hospitals in the ACT with fewer beds. It is a more efficient system than was ever envisaged by the Liberal Party; yet they still argue that they should force people into expensive private hospital insurance and into the private hospital sector, which will cost the ordinary householder $46 a week. What a joke!
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