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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 5 Hansard (13 May) . . Page.. 1285 ..

MRS CARNELL: Thank you very much, Ms Reilly. I wondered why Calvary Hospital was complaining about a new 100-bed private hospital when it is in the process of building a new private hospital adjacent to Calvary Hospital. Calvary Hospital, for those that are interested, is currently building a new private psychiatric hospital adjacent to Calvary Hospital - a 20-bed private facility. Mr Speaker, you would also be aware that Calvary Hospital has, I think, 50 - it might be somewhat more - - -

Members interjected.

MR SPEAKER: Order! The house will come to order. If you do not want to listen, at least be quiet. I am interested in the answer. Continue, Mrs Carnell.

MRS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, Calvary Hospital is in the process of building a new private hospital, a private psychiatric hospital, adjacent to Calvary. Calvary was part of the discussions the whole way through this process and has never made a comment that it has a problem with the new private hospital. Obviously, Mr Speaker, a new private hospital will compete with it. There is no doubt about that. It will compete with the private beds already at Calvary Hospital. The new HCOA facility, though, will have no private psychiatric beds, and on that basis will not compete with the new private psychiatric unit. I cannot understand why Calvary Hospital, which is building new private beds, would have a problem with other private beds being provided.

Mr Berry: You said that they never said anything; that they have never complained.

MRS CARNELL: They have not.

MS REILLY: I have a supplementary question. Can you inform the Assembly what study was undertaken to establish the need for 100 more private hospital beds in the ACT? Can you provide the Assembly with a copy of that study by the end of business today?

MRS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, the study that was done was to put it out to tender and see whether anyone was interested in spending $20m of - - -

Mr Berry: What a great study! Thank you. Sit down. That is all we need.

MR SPEAKER: Order!

MRS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, that is a very normal way to establish whether the private sector is interested in a new facility. The other work that was done to determine whether a new private hospital in the ACT was viable was to look at the number of private hospital beds that we have in Canberra and - - -

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