Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 4 Hansard (16 April) . . Page.. 958 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

I also have previously announced the introduction of casemix from 1 July, which once more will lead to management improvements. Casemix will be used as both a funding mechanism and a management mechanism, in that it will enable the health system to link financial information and patient activity information, and will assist managers in making decisions about costs and priorities. In the future there must be a far stronger link between budget and activity. The fact is that we do not have an open-ended budget, and decisions have to be made on priorities in health care.

The introduction of casemix, supported by improved reporting and monitoring through the use of better information, will assist managers and clinicians in making those decisions about funding priorities. This will assist with the objective of increasingly focusing on performance results - an obsession with outcomes, quality and customer service. No longer will it be good enough to do something simply because it has always been done, or to introduce new services simply because they represent the latest in whiz-bang technology.

Ms Follett: Like casemix.

MRS CARNELL: Casemix is actually required under the Medicare agreement, Mr Speaker, that was put in place by the previous Labor Government. Rather, there will be an increasing focus on providing the best practice, the most appropriate, most efficient and effective, and highest priority services. We are therefore looking at strengthening the links between clinical practice, teaching and research, to ensure that the people of the ACT have access to best practice in health and community care.

For example, the Department of Health and Community Care and the ACT Division of General Practice have lodged a joint submission to the Commonwealth to conduct a coordinated care trial that will aim to break down some of these barriers that exist between hospital and community care. The ACT Government also is acutely aware of the role of staff in ensuring access to high-quality services. We have recognised that the best way to improve productivity, efficiency and quality is in partnership with staff, and this has been the emphasis of our recent negotiations on enterprise bargaining with health industry unions. For example, in the often vexed area of nursing, the Government and the unions are negotiating for a joint commitment to a new style of cooperation to improve nursing services and to enhance service provision. I am confident that with good faith, cooperation and participation we can achieve substantial improvements over the life of the agreement. Enterprise bargaining is fundamental to improvements in health and community care, in that it clearly connects improvements in productivity and efficiency to enhanced incomes of staff.

These new agreements will represent important new milestones in achieving reforms to work practices and high cost structures, and go to the core of the problems that have beset the ACT health and community care sector. They include a commitment to tackle factors which contribute to our high Comcare costs, and to improve theatre utilisation, quality of care and bed management in accordance with our waiting list management strategy.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .