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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 7 Hansard (24 June) . . Page.. 2345 ..
MR CORNWELL
(continuing):It will contain 20 psycho-geriatric beds and 40 rehabilitation beds. Minister, when the question was asked by me, in estimates, this facility was confirmed, in estimates, to total 60 beds-30 for rehabilitation, 10 for transitional care and 20 for psycho-geriatric dementia-type patients. We now have 20 psycho-geriatric beds, which is the same as told in estimates, but we have 40 rehabilitation beds.
You may like to correct this. Maybe we're just arguing words, Mr Corbell, but you did tell me 30 for rehabilitation, 10 for transitional care. I accept that it may not be a long-term accommodation option in this facility, but I still maintain that the removal of people from hospital beds into this 60-bed facility must release needed hospital beds. I urge you again to facilitate the fast tracking of this.
MR SPEAKER
: The member's time has expired.MR CORNWELL
: I will take the rest of my time, Mr Speaker. I will not be long.I do urge you to facilitate the fast-tracking of this. In terms of hospital beds and aged care: the more elderly people we can move out of hospitals, the more beds that are freed up for other people who need them. This is not rocket-science approach; it's something that we should be able to accept.
I am appalled, as I say, at the delay in the taking up of the 65 beds that were given to Calvary. I hope that you will be able to speed that up and I would hope also that this other facility, which is much needed for sub and non-acute aged care, will also be fast-tracked. We cannot have enough aged care facilities in this city, with our population ageing, Mr Speaker.
MR CORBELL
(Minister for Health and Minister for Planning) (8.19): Mr Speaker, this budget is a strong budget for health, contrary to some of the claims that other members have made. Of course there is always unmet need in health; there always will be regardless of the amount of money you put into the health system. The same can be said for education, the same can be said for almost any other area of service delivery, but it's particularly the case in the health portfolio.Mr Speaker, it's interesting to hear the comments from those opposite, particularly in relation to their critique that we're pouring lots of money in but we're not getting any improved service outcomes. At the same time they criticise the government for not putting money into particular services. Really they're trying to have it both ways, Mr Speaker; they're trying to say. "Look, money isn't the issue,"but then at the same time they're saying, "You should have spent money on this."
Mr Speaker, they can't have it both ways. Really the opposition's critique of the health budget is just one from the party of the cliché; that's all it is. Mr Smyth's got to be the king of the cliché: spend more; get less; a whole series of other references; keep repeating it and hopefully someone will eventually believe it.
Mr Smyth said he's not seeing any improved outcomes in relation to the health budget; he's not seeing any improvements in service delivery. I draw to the attention of members the initiative around elective surgery-$6 million over the next three years to improve access to elective surgery. Mr Speaker, 600 Canberrans extra every
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