Page 3660 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 20 October 1993
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MR BERRY: I will tell you. It is still increasing. No government has been able to come up with the formula that guarantees that waiting lists will decline. It has been shown in the past that if you throw money at the health system that does not necessarily mean that waiting lists will decline, as you would appreciate. The other question is: Who is responsible for the waiting lists? Essentially, the number of people on the waiting list is, of course, decided upon by the referring specialists who decide whether people need surgery for one reason or another.
We also have to manage the provision of services within the hospital in a more efficient way - and I think Mr Kaine would agree with that - because there were inefficiencies within the hospital system. Mrs Carnell continually bleats that we are closing the hospital for six weeks. That is the big fib. What happens is that there - - -
Mr Humphries: "Closing beds", she said.
MR BERRY: She said "hospital". She said, "You are closing the hospital for six weeks". It is not closing for six weeks. The hospital will be well and truly open. All emergency services will be provided. In relation to elective surgery, there is a wind-down in the provision of - - -
Mr Humphries: I think you fib, Wayne, according to that.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order!
MR BERRY: The hospital is not going to close.
Mr Humphries: That is what your heading says.
MR BERRY: The hospital is not going to close, I am telling you now.
Mr Humphries: Who wrote the memo, then?
MR BERRY: I am telling you. Did I sign it?
Mrs Carnell: No.
MR BERRY: No. Listen to me. I am telling you that the hospital is not going to close. Take that for granted.
Mr Humphries: It is going to wind down, though, is it not?
MR BERRY: As when you were Health Minister, there will be a wind-down in the provision of services around holiday periods, and that will be - - -
Mrs Carnell: For about twice as long.
MR BERRY: We are doing twice as well. We are just doing so much better these days. We are treating many thousands more people.
Mr De Domenico: How many more thousands will we be treating this year?
MR BERRY: It was 2,000 extra last year, a 5 per cent increase.
Mr Humphries: That is many thousands?
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