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A shortcoming associated with the establishment of casemix in other States is that casemix has been primarily a tool for funding hospitals.

Mr Connolly: Could you read that one again?

MRS CARNELL: Yes, that is right. Read the report. It has provided an incentive to discharge patients as quickly as possible without providing adequate support in community facilities or at home. Mr Speaker, I will be making a further ministerial statement later this week regarding the Government's commitment to continuity of care, including greater use of hospital-at-home programs. Casemix information is a tool we can use to evaluate the need for care at different stages of the patient's treatment and see how this can be provided as efficiently as possible. Our casemix approach will also help to improve the ACT’s information and management systems. The patient will become the centre of considerations about what information is required and what decisions are needed.

I am announcing today that in the 1995-96 financial year casemix-based funding will be a central feature of more meaningful service arrangements with our two public hospitals, and in 1996-97 it will be comprehensively introduced within the department. Consistent with Professor Hindle's recommendations, we will use the 1995-96 year to plan the implementation of casemix for the following year, and it will be conducted in a consultative way. We will involve clinicians, managers and community groups in the implementation of casemix in the ACT, and, of course, members of the Assembly. As a start to this process, I have asked the department to hold seminars towards the end of May so that there can be full and informed discussions on this new approach. I look forward to talking about the approach outlined in the discussion document so that we can get on with the job of reforming our health system.

Mr Speaker, the initiatives and directions I have announced in this statement are but the start of the Government's efforts to reform ACT Health. It will not be an easy task, but it does have to be done. In the past two months I have attempted to keep members of this Assembly and the community fully briefed on the state of ACT Health and Community Care. I will continue with this approach as often as is possible, because we want to work cooperatively with employees, unions, this Assembly, and, in fact, every Canberran. That includes the members opposite who do not seem to want to be involved with anything. I understand that the Independents and the Greens are very keen to be involved. We are going about this approach and attempting to achieve real community consultation. I believe that we can achieve what we need to do. It is going to be tough, and the decisions are going to be tough as well; but they are decisions, I can assure you, that this Government is not afraid to make. I table the document and the statement, and I move:

That the Assembly takes note of the papers.

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