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First, I should point out that the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare pointed out in February this year - while Mr Connolly was still Minister - that the clearance time on the waiting list for the ACT was the second worst in Australia. The average clearance time, of 5.5 months, was second only to that of the Northern Territory, which had the slowest clearance of patients. So, for how long have our patients been waiting? Currently, a staggering 51 per cent of category one patients have been waiting for longer than the clinically recommended 30 days. That is 136 people. Remember that category one is for urgent patients. One in three of these patients have been waiting for longer than three months. Mr Speaker, one in three of these people, who were supposed to have been seen in 30 days or their condition was likely to deteriorate, were still waiting at three months. Category 2 patients, who were supposed to have been seen within 90 days - - -

Members interjected.

MR SPEAKER: Order! I cannot hear the Chief Minister answering the question. If I cannot hear her, I presume that others cannot; and she may have to repeat the answer to the question.

Mr Berry: No, no!

MR SPEAKER: Order! That goes for both sides of the house.

MRS CARNELL: Category 2 waiting list people are people who are supposed to have been seen within 90 days; that is, it is clinically desirable for them to have their surgery within 90 days. Forty-five per cent of those people have been waiting for longer than is clinically desirable; that is, longer than 90 days. Almost 20 per cent of these people have been waiting for longer than a year. Mr Speaker, I regard these waiting lists as a disgrace, and I would be surprised if Mr Connolly and everyone else in this Assembly do not share my concern. I know that every doctor, nurse and health professional in the ACT shares the belief that something has to be done. While the Government is currently developing a detailed strategy for better management of waiting lists, it is clear that patient care has, for far too long, run a poor second in the overall health picture in the ACT.

The consultancy I announced this week will work with senior managers to identify areas across Health where efficiencies can be found and services to patients can be improved. Since we came to government, I have stood here and copped my fair share of the flak about the reforms that we are making in ACT Health; but what we are saying is that we do not believe that more of the same is all right. We have to make absolutely fundamental changes to do something about waiting lists, not only that are long, but also where people have been waiting for clinically unacceptable periods of time. I believe that, at the last election, the people of Canberra said categorically that more of the same in Health was not good enough. Patients are saying that; doctors, nurses and health professionals are saying it. The only people who seem to believe that more of the same is all right are the Labor Party.

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