Page 1469 - Week 05 - Thursday, 12 May 1994
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The regional person who has a mild condition will remain in Yass or Goulburn or Queanbeyan hospital. They come here when it is a more significant matter. Because of that we had a better deal negotiated than the national average, which is to treat the Canberra in-patient admissions according to the metropolitan cost weighting rather than the fairly complicated average cost weighting that Peat Marwicks have worked out. We are $1m better off as a result of that side agreement, as it were, with New South Wales than we would have been had Mr Berry not secured that concession with New South Wales and the Commonwealth.
Mrs Carnell: We are still $7m worse off.
MR CONNOLLY: Mrs Carnell, showing the forensic genius for which the Motor Trades Association commended her on the front page of the Canberra Times - not the Canberra Times, the Motor Trades Advocate; I am sorry for that slip of the tongue, and there is no similarity between the two journals - has worked out that because Woden has a high cost base we are behind. Yes, that is true; and if we can get the cost base at Woden coming down we will be better off. Forensic brilliance! Gee, I wish I had thought of that.
Madam Speaker, the whole exercise that we have been talking about for the last few weeks, the tabling of the report by Arthur Andersens, the putting in place of the interim financial board of management, which we have called by another name, but basically - - -
Mrs Carnell: The Board of Health?
MR CONNOLLY: No, not the Board of Health, Mrs Carnell; far from it. You were on the Board of Health for quite a period and failed to achieve very much, Mrs Carnell. You were part of the problem, not part of the solution. That is the way you will be recorded in history. Madam Speaker, we are moving to address these cost issues at Woden Valley Hospital and, as we address them, our cost differentials will reduce. My basic proposition, that we secured a better deal with New South Wales than other States have secured with one another, and that we have a higher level of payment, is a significant achievement. We are $1m better off as a result of that than we would have been.
MRS CARNELL: I have a supplementary question, Madam Speaker. Will the Minister agree, just for a moment, that because his own Arthur Andersen consulting report shows that Woden Valley Hospital's cost per patient is $3,200 - - -
Mr Berry: No; that is not a supplementary question.
MRS CARNELL: It is exactly the same question.
Mr Berry: Exactly the same question. Madam Speaker, I take a point of order. It is fully answered, Madam Speaker. Mrs Carnell admits herself that it is the same question.
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