Page 2878 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 19 September 2006
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health system; activity levels—how busy are the hospitals; and gives a snapshot of how our health measures up across the community. This is produced every three months and I do not think you will find any level of this sort of information being provided by any other health system across the country.
The report shows that Canberra Hospital and Calvary Hospital are busier than ever. It also shows that there has been a seven per cent increase in cost-weighted separations for the 2005-06 year—that is, almost 72,000 in-patient cost-weighted separations for that year; that the emergency departments treated almost 100,000 people, which is again a six per cent increase in activity; that all life threatening presentations were dealt with on time; and that more people are accessing elective surgery than ever. It shows that our breast cancer screening services have grown by 10.5 per cent; that 100 of all eligible babies were screened for hearing; that we recorded almost 900 births in the third quarter; and that 96 per cent of our elective surgery patients in category 1 received care within 30 days. Further, the report shows that our immunisation rates are 94 per cent, which is three per cent above the national benchmark and that our community health services continued to meet their targets for the last five quarters with 95 per cent of people accessing emergency dental services within 24 hours. Also, waiting times for urgent radiotherapy services remain within best practice guidelines. We have invested in an additional linear accelerator—almost $20 million has been provided in the budget—to reduce the need for patients to travel interstate. I think from this you can see that our health system is travelling very well within the climate of increased demand for services.
Mr Smyth: It is not what the AIHW say. Longest wait lists, longest wait times.
MS GALLAGHER: I am talking about the health system as a whole, Mr Smyth. I am trying to broaden it from your narrow focus on waiting lists. There have been big improvements in emergency department waiting times. The opposition does not like to be told that the areas they have been focusing on are all improving. We are delivering good access to health services in the Canberra community. We will continue to report, as we do, be transparent, talk about areas where we can improve our performance and look at ways in which we can improve our performance within a climate where demand is increasing.
Mr Stanhope: Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the notice paper.
Auditor-General’s reports Nos 5 and 6 of 2006
Mr Speaker presented the following papers:
Auditor-General Act—Auditor-General’s reports—
No 5/2006—Rhodium Asset Solutions Limited, dated 18 September 2006.
No 6/2006—Vocational Education and Training, dated 18 September 2006.
MR STANHOPE (Ginninderra—Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Business and Economic Development, Minister for Indigenous Affairs and Minister for the Arts) (3.49): I ask leave to move a motion to authorise publication of Auditor-General’s reports Nos 5 and 6 of 2006.
Leave granted.
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