Page 2858 - Week 09 - Thursday, 27 September 2007

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(7) Table 5: Number of ACT government school students who received an ACT Year 12 certificate at ACT government college two years later.

Canberra Hospital—television rental charges
(Question No 1652)

Mrs Burke asked the Minister for Health, upon notice, on 23 August 2007 (redirected to the Acting Minister for Health):

(1) Is the cost for television rental for patients at The Canberra Hospital (TCH) $8.80 per day and $6.60 per day for concession holders;

(2) Why are patients at TCH being charged so much for this service which provides access to free to air channels;

(3) How and to whom is the revenue from this service distributed.

Mr Corbell: The answer to the member’s question is as follows:

(1) The rates for patient television hire at TCH are currently:

• $8.80 per day, $44.00 per week for the first week and $33.00 per week thereafter, $99.50 for the first month and $77.50 per month thereafter.

• Health Care Card holders attract concession rates of $6.60 per day, $33.00 per week, $66.00 for the first month and $49.50 per month thereafter.

In addition to the concession rates, patients in the Paediatric and Oncology wards are not charged for access to the Hospital’s TV service.

(2) TCH has licenced the supply of patient TV services to an external provider, Erwick Proprietary Limited (Erwick Pty Ltd), trading as “Hospital TV Rentals” (HTR). This has been in place since 1999. Patients pay hire costs, which are applied by HTR.

It is not uncommon for patients to pay a third party contracted service provider for access to bedside television services in public hospitals throughout Australia. Access to this service is a matter of choice for the patient and is negotiated directly between the patient and the contracted service provider.

(3) Under the terms of the contract, the service provider HTR enters into a rental agreement with the patient and collects rental fees as revenue.

As required by its contract, HTR also pays ACT Health an annual licence fee of $48,000.

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