Page 2334 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 16 September 1992
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Mr Kaine: It would have dropped out like the abortion clinic, probably.
MR HUMPHRIES: It probably did, yes. It was a question of seeing what was possible within the constraints of what the ACT had to spend at the time. I am not at all reticent about pointing out the many important things that the Alliance Government did achieve in health while it was in office. The birthing centre, new psychiatric facilities and new obstetric facilities are just three that come to mind off the top of my head. I am proud about those things. But obviously it can always be said that more is possible. I hope, Madam Speaker, that we have initiated today a step towards a realisation that we do need more in this area and - - -
Mr Kaine: You mean that greater achievements would have been possible, not more.
MR HUMPHRIES: Indeed. We all accept that there is a need to look to the question of cost. Nobody wants to build gold plated facilities - everybody knows that we cannot afford them - but, as Mrs Carnell has pointed out, there is the very real question of whether we would not save money by having an adolescent unit or ward in the ACT public hospital system. On that premise, we believe that the Government should be giving consideration to the question of adolescent facilities. I hope that the Government - - -
Mr Berry: I said that we are.
MR HUMPHRIES: The Minister says, "We are". In that spirit we support the Government's move and look forward to seeing the product of the Government's deliberations in due course. If the Government comes up with something in that area, I can promise you that the Opposition will give it strong and sincere support, not mindless opposition.
MS SZUTY (11.26): I would like to thank members for their support of this motion. I would like to draw attention to a few of the comments that I heard during the debate. I think that Mrs Carnell made a very important point regarding the establishment of an adolescent ward in that not only will it improve health outcomes for young people; it will also be cost-effective in the long term. That is a very important point for us to remember. I also noted her reference to the support of the idea of an adolescent ward from the First ACT Legislative Assembly's Social Policy Committee. That is another group that I had not realised had lent its support to the establishment of an adolescent ward. I thank Mrs Carnell, also, for her personal experience when she was an adolescent and spent time in hospital recovering from what I believe was a long-term illness.
I would like to thank the ACT Government for the work that it has done to date in developing plans for the establishment of an adolescent unit. I must admit that I am disappointed with the timeframe that it is looking at at the moment. It will be 1994 or 1995 before the adolescent ward is operating. I did draw attention in my speech to the need for accreditation for the paediatric services section of the hospital, which will come up in 1993. Obviously, we will not have a first-class rating for that section without an adolescent ward. I think that is a disappointment.
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