Page 1716 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 21 August 2007
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systems, not only in Australia but across the world. Here we are no different. In fact, some of the preliminary figures that we are seeing for the end of the financial year 2006-07 indicate a very clear message, and that is that our hospitals are very busy and are seeing more people than ever but that our system is coping with the demand and that because of injections of funding and strategic planning by the government it has had the capacity to meet that demand. This is particularly so when we look at the last year, but it has certainly been highlighted during this financial year with the increases that we have seen in terms of the winter activity.
Some of the final figures which have been coming out for the last financial year show that our hospitals exceeded inpatient cost weighted separation targets by four per cent, which had already factored in a growth component of three per cent; that removals for elective surgery exceeded the target and resulted in 9,326 people being removed from the elective surgery list—the fourth record year in a row—and that ED presentations were up, to around 100,000 per year.
At the same time some of those key performance measures were heading in the right direction. Access block was down to 29 per cent, which is a decline of four per cent from the previous financial year and a decline of 12 per cent from the year before. The Capital Region Cancer Service, which is also seeing an increased demand for service, saw an 11.5 per cent increase in access to radiation therapy services in the last financial year. In terms of aged care and rehab, inpatient activity is estimated to be five per cent above target.
Another measure of how a health system, particularly in a hospital, is performing is the hospital occupancy rate. In 2006-07, for the fourth quarter, it was down to 91 per cent compared with 97 per cent for the same quarter the previous year, and our ambulance off-stretcher times continue to improve. Mr Speaker, this paints the picture that demand is increasing, certainly ahead of the growth that has been predicted, particularly in acute services, but that the planning that is being done is ensuring that we are able to meet some of that demand.
In terms of the winter pressures that we are seeing, the emergency department, and we will take The Canberra Hospital as example, often sees in excess of 150 presentations every 24 hours. It is a very busy emergency department and certainly the staff there are pulling out all stops to see people in a timely fashion. Winter planning is done each year, and that was certainly in place this year, but I do not think any person who works in the health system across Australia who experiences the same pressures could have anticipated the increased outbreak of particularly influenza and the impact that has had on the hospital.
In relation to staffing issues, our staff are not immune from illnesses and we have seen very high levels of personal leave—sick leave—not only for nurses themselves but also to care for family members who have been sick. That has placed extra pressure on the health system. I am hopeful that we are through the worst of that. It was particularly high during the school holiday period, but we are seeing some slight improvement in that area.
I think the best example of how the hospital is coping was seen on the day that a number of Queensland residents who had fallen ill in Canberra attended our
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