Page 390 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 7 March 2006
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and putting in place the solutions.” What are the solutions, Mr Corbell? Are you serious? How can it be that after all this time and roughly 20 avoidable deaths, you are only now going to start implementing solutions?
Mr Corbell selectively quoted from reports during question time. I would like to go to the editorial by Professor Peter Cameron from Monash University. He says:
It is incumbent on governments and administrators to prevent overcrowding by improving management of the health care system and, where necessary, providing increased resources.
In this case increased resources means increased beds. If they wish, people can download Professor Cameron’s editorial from the web and read the rest of it. He goes on to say:
The exacerbation of access block seen in the past few years is symptomatic of much larger changes occurring within the health system. Changes to workforce, working hours, aged care, and funding, as well as fewer hospital beds, and increasing demand for seemingly limitless new treatments and procedures, have all contributed to access block.
There it is: we have fewer beds. Professor Cameron goes on to deal with increased bed numbers, and this is where Mr Corbell quotes half a sentence or half a paragraph to try and prove his point. I will read the full paragraph. It states:
Increased bed numbers: It is important to note that access block does not correlate well with the absolute number of hospital beds. Increasing the number of hospital beds temporarily alleviates access block, but does not solve the problem—the beds fill quickly and the problem recurs.
It finishes with the line the minister did not read:
Nevertheless, governments must fund an adequate number of beds to provide the health care that the community demands.
Professor Cameron then goes on to say:
An overcrowded hospital should now be regarded as an unsafe hospital.
In the report itself Professor Richardson comes to the same conclusions. He says:
Conclusions: In this hospital—
that is, Canberra Hospital—
presentation during high ED occupancy was associated with increased in-hospital mortality at 10 days, after controlling for seasonal, shift, and day of the week effects. The magnitude of the effect is about 13 deaths per year. Further studies are warranted.
The studies looked for the causal link but, as Professor Richardson said on the radio yesterday, it was quite clear that statistically the link is there and it needs to be addressed. Professor Richardson has talked about three studies, but I hope the minister
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