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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 2 Hansard (2 March) . . Page.. 544 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

acceptable levels; a system that is consumer friendly; improved management of hospital waiting lists; and improved ability to analyse and respond to trends through improved data quality, reliability and validity.

Whilst I will not go into the full details of the strategy here, I think it would be useful to outline the values that underpin it. Briefly, Mr Speaker, the strategy is based on equity, efficiency, transparency, certainty and consumer focus.

Equity: Patients should have timely access to elective treatment on a needs basis rather than on the basis of which clinician they see or how long they have been on the waiting list.

Efficiency: The system should use resources effectively and responsibly to treat people who are most in need.

Transparency: Patients will be informed about the priority of their condition and the principles of waiting list management so they can participate appropriately to ensure their needs are met.

Certainty: Patients should know with reasonable certainty and with reasonable notice when treatment will occur and by whom.

Consumer focus: The system should be focused on best meeting the needs of each individual.

Mr Speaker, the strategy has four main elements - improved responsiveness to demand; improved waiting list management; increased capacity of the system to respond; and increased consumer involvement and choice. Flowing from each element are a number of actions which, when implemented, should see a substantial improvement in waiting times for elective surgery.

Mr Speaker, I thank the committee members for their input to the development of this important strategy, and I commend the government response to the Assembly.

Debate (on motion by Mr Wood ) adjourned.

MR MOORE (Minister for Health and Community Care): Mr Speaker, I ask for leave of the Assembly to make a ministerial statement on the supervised injecting place trial.

Leave granted.

MR MOORE: Mr Speaker, I am pleased to be able to stand before the house today and provide the first progress report on the implementation of the supervised injecting trial legislation. It is my intention to report regularly on this issue. I know it is controversial and I want to keep members abreast of what is happening.

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