Page 4796 - Week 15 - Thursday, 8 December 1994
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an extra bathroom, maybe had their place painted out or did up the garden with a bit of landscaping, they would have the tax inspectors around to re-evaluate their property. Madam Speaker, Mrs Carnell knows perfectly well that the rates are not set according to people's income. Maggie Thatcher tried that. It did not prove terribly popular, Mrs Carnell; but, if she is going to be your hero, you go right ahead.
Woden Valley Hospital - Redirection of Patient
MS ELLIS: Madam Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister for Health. Last month the Minister said that the Commissioner for Health Complaints was investigating a situation where an elderly woman was redirected from Woden Valley Hospital to Calvary Hospital in the early hours of the morning. Has there been any progress in the commissioner's investigation?
MR CONNOLLY: Madam Speaker - - -
Mr De Domenico: You cannot help the woman; she died.
MR CONNOLLY: I thank Ms Ellis for her question. I hope that Hansard heard the gleeful little interjection from Mr De Domenico, "You cannot help the woman; she died".
Mr De Domenico: It was not gleeful. Your office would not even admit that she did die, Mr Connolly. Your office said that she was still alive.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order! Mr De Domenico, let the Minister answer the question.
MR CONNOLLY: Thank you, Mr De Domenico. You very eloquently illustrate a point I will be coming to in a minute. I asked the Health Complaints Commissioner to investigate the matter, and late yesterday afternoon he handed me the report, a copy of which I table. The summary of that report says this:
Woden Valley Hospital had requested the ACT Ambulance service to redirect certain types of patients to Calvary Hospital shortly before the patient arrived at the Woden Valley Hospital Accident and Emergency Department. There had not been time to redirect the ambulance before its arrival at the hospital. The ambulance was redirected by Ambulance control when it arrived.
The patient's treatment was not compromised by the additional travelling time.
... ... ...
The decision to request redirection and the actual redirection of the ambulance were reasonable.
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