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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 08 Hansard (Thursday, 5 August 2004) . . Page.. 3535 ..

the result of a lack of bulk-billing GPs. We have to provide preventative health services so that we do not get to the crisis point of needing to fill hospital beds. Those from lower socio-economic backgrounds are always over-represented in public hospitals, and they often end up in hospital as a result of not going to a doctor, and this was something that was evident on my visit to Calvary. They generally do not go to a GP, or are not in the habit of going to a GP, because they simply cannot afford to visit, or if they are new residents to Canberra, they cannot find a GP who is willing to take on new patients.

There are GPs in Canberra whose books are closed. They are seeing only patients who are already on their books. I think that is a major problem for the government. How can our population grow? How can people be attracted to come to Canberra and enjoy our lifestyle when they cannot even see a GP once they are here? People who are unable or cannot afford to see a GP, or are concerned that they do not want to take up a GP’s time, are ending up at our public hospitals where the situation has got a lot worse. Whereas a GP would have been able to treat an infection in the very early stages, people are now going to a hospital with quite serious problems that have to be worked through.

We recognise that the Medicare schedule is set by the Commonwealth government and, unfortunately, it was increased in the Medicare Plus package for only some sectors of the community. But it is not good enough for ACT governments to sit by and not believe that this is their problem, and not work to relieve the pressures on GP’s and public hospitals.

We need to look at how we can work on preventative health care to make sure that we are looking after the health care needs of people in the territory. Programs can be put in place to increase bulk-billing. We must do more to make sure people can get proper health care before they get to hospital. I think that would go a long way towards alleviating the situation in our hospitals at the moment where people have to wait longer to get the support they need. If illnesses can be dealt with in the preventative stage, I think we will alleviate a lot of the problems currently operating in our hospitals.

MS MacDONALD (4.16): Mrs Dunne raised the issue of the submission from the ACT faculty of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine on the state of emergency department services in the ACT. I understand that the government is aware of the submission from the college, and let me say straight away that we welcome it. The involvement of clinicians in identifying areas for improvement and implementing positive change is one of the most important factors in making our health system work better. The government thanks the college for its contribution. I also understand that other colleges are raising similar issues with governments right around the country and that local faculties are making specific comments.

Suggestions made in the submission warrant serious consideration—some in particular—and the government will do so. I would point out that the submission seems to suggest that the key solution to the problems affecting the emergency departments is more beds. The government has already allocated additional funding for more beds and this funding includes provision for additional staff. However, it is probably also worth dwelling on some of the key changes and improvements already either underway or planned to alleviate the pressures facing the ACT’s emergency departments. Remember, these changes are in the context that the ACT has the highest proportion, at 74 per cent, of people seen on time, as measured across all Australian public hospital emergency

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