Page 3532 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 12 October 1994
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In relation to paediatric bed numbers, the WVH bulletin shows a total of 49 paediatric beds at WVH in August 1994. Since that time, a further 7 paediatric beds have opened (these are included in the 11 that I refer to above). In addition, a further 4 paediatric beds are amongst the 16 beds scheduled to open when staff have been recruited.
We have funded this. The advice continues:
This will bring the paediatric unit to 60 beds.
I referred to a 60-bed unit and was accused of misleading the Assembly. I asked for some further data to be made available today, because of an article I read in the Canberra Times. Mrs Carnell does not have the grace to say, "I was wrong. I was looking at an internal working document, which had a number of inaccuracies. I apologise for accusing the Minister of misleading the Assembly". More to the point, she did not say, "I really apologise for the grubby little tactic I used yesterday of saying that officials have been lying to the Minister, who has then been lying to the Assembly". I do not mind being the brunt of Mrs Carnell's accusations of misleading, because it is my job to take that sort of nonsense from Liberals. But, when she starts saying that officials are cooking the books or giving misleading information, she can stand before the public of Canberra on that. She said, again in the paper, "There are only 560 beds. Everything that has been said is wrong". I am relying on officials' information. I told you that yesterday. I have given you that additional information.
I received a further note today, which expands on the 584. It makes the point that we are talking about neither a monthly average nor a high point or a low point. The number of beds throughout the month of September was 584. On a Saturday or a Sunday the situation does change somewhat, because the practice in this hospital, as in every hospital in Australia, is that you tend not to have elective cases on a Saturday or a Sunday. Doctors actually like to spend some time with their families; nurses actually like to spend some time with their families. You structure around weekends, holiday times and the like. I could quote to you what Ron Phillips said in the New South Wales Parliament when explaining why that is a sensible practice. Perhaps it is not necessary. Of the 584 beds, 47 are open only on a Monday to Friday basis. A further 20 beds used for renal dialysis are open six days a week. There are 20 renal dialysis beds - not the 80 which Mrs Carnell claimed in the paper today. "Look, 80 of those beds are not beds; they are renal dialysis couches", says Mr Humphries. There are not 80; there are 20. And they are properly counted as beds. A bed is a place in a hospital where you receive occasional treatment. You are wrong - - -
Mr Humphries: Do you count trolleys as beds?
MR CONNOLLY: You can. Every bed is a trolley, because they all have wheels on them. Mrs Carnell said in the paper this morning, "There are 80 renal dialysis beds". There are not; there are 20. Once again, Mrs Carnell is wrong. Mrs Carnell, again in the paper today, said, "Thirty-five per cent of Woden Valley patients are from New South Wales". She is wrong again; it is about 20 per cent. Most significantly, Mrs Carnell in the paper this morning says that day surgery is for "things like warts and moles".
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