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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 10 Hansard (24 September) . . Page.. 3627 ..

MS TUCKER (continuing):

ways to deal with that. I have moved motions here calling on the government to address problems of GPs and bulk-billing, and after-hours bulk-billing access. I have suggested investigating, at the very least, re-establishing community health centres with salaried doctors and other complementary health care workers, to provide a diverse range of care.

Health care also requires attention to the things that support health, not just the absence of illness: safe, secure housing for one. I have proposed an amendment to the final paragraph of Mr Hargreaves' motion because I think it takes the wrong tone, the wrong approach. I do not know that we can recognise the ongoing commitment to reform the health care system and I do not know that that should be the goal. I think the goal is really to improve the health care system for the people who need it, not reform for reform's sake. Having said that, though, I do welcome the move away from the purchaser/provider model and other so-called reforms.

We are still, I believe, experiencing the effects of a reform process in the ACT alcohol and drug program of a number of years ago, which removed the duty counsellor drop-in system and the specialist education position, and seems to have precipitated what was reported, in consultations with the drug and alcohol task force, to be a very high turnover of skilled staff. These services are for some of the most vulnerable, and for people in very difficult circumstances. The work is not easy and that is why the management of the service is so critical-management for the clients.

Reform is necessary to improve the health system, in particular, in the area of embracing complaints, of shaping the services according to feedback. Improvements, which do not always means spending more money, have also been suggested by committee inquiries over the years for particular areas of need: the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the health of school-age children and the status of women.

Suggestions include moving Winnunga Nimmityjah to better facilities immediately. Regarding mental health, we see continual talk about more community support, which is widely acknowledged as a need. Let's see it happen and let's see a capacity to respond to all calls for help. Let's see much more of the health care programs that help people to find balance and long-term, good-quality counselling, programs such as the Rainbow, which provide places to go every day. That will reduce critical needs.

Respite care affects the health of the person cared for and the carers very significantly. The recent report on needs in respite care identified the need for ongoing support to prevent the necessity for respite care in some situations. However, meanwhile, FaBRiC has had to cut 35 care places from its books and the health of the people concerned will suffer. This has to be seen as part of the health system too.

Attention to the issue of access to clean syringes and needles, based on the Assembly committee's report, is also relevant. This is not a priority list, just one that gives some examples.

While it is good that we finally have recognition of the GP shortages and bulk-billing access problems by the Commonwealth, there is much more work to be done.

Amendment negatived.

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