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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 4 Hansard (16 April) . . Page.. 933 ..

MRS CARNELL: Mr Berry is the Opposition's health spokesman. It is concerning to me that he does not actually know that there is a waiting list strategy, which was released by this Government a number of months ago. I am more than happy to provide a copy of the waiting list strategy to Mr Berry.

The approach that we have taken is to put at least an extra $2m into this budget for a waiting list strategy, specifically for the increase in patients that we have seen in this last little while. That approach is unlike Mr Berry's. Mr Berry managed to blow out four health budgets; but at the same time he blew out the waiting lists and cut beds. Wow! What a wonderful exercise - budgets blowing out, waiting lists blowing out, and no beds! If I were he, I would be extremely cautious about making any comment at all on waiting lists. The approach that we have taken is to address people who have been on the longer-term waiting lists - people who have been waiting for essential surgery for long periods of time. Do you want a run-down on the category approaches that exist in the ACT, or is that your supplementary question? Would it upset your supplementary question?

Mr Berry: No. I have already asked it. I am just trying to get an answer. It is like pulling teeth.

MRS CARNELL: The approach that we have taken is to target people on the longer-term waiting list - people who are waiting for such things as hip replacements and so on, and who have been waiting for long periods of time for surgery that is essential.

MR BERRY: Mr Speaker, I have a supplementary question. I wonder whether Mrs Carnell could advise us of how many of those were dogs, and how many dogs are left on the waiting list.

MRS CARNELL: To my knowledge, we actually do not have a dog waiting list.

Mr Berry: You are not sure, though?

MRS CARNELL: I am confident that we do not have a dog waiting list, and I am interested that those opposite think that this is funny. I do not. I think it is totally unacceptable behaviour. We have made it clear that the doctors involved are subject to a number of inquiries, including an independent inquiry by the fraud prevention unit. There is also action being undertaken by the Medical Board and by a peer group review board at Woden Valley Hospital itself. So we have in place a significant number of inquiries into this situation, which is simply unacceptable.

Mr Speaker, we have a situation where, for the first time since self-government, we have a real reduction in waiting lists, a reduction of some 358 since we took over government, unlike the situation under Mr Berry where waiting lists went from 1,700 to 4,500 at the same time as he cut beds, blew out budgets and in many circumstances did not even see any extra patients at all. How on earth he can make any comments whatsoever on waiting lists absolutely escapes me.

I ask that all further questions be placed on the notice paper.

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