Page 1624 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 1 April 2009
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thought there about how the situation can be remedied on a broader scale. Her only response and her only thought on this matter is to say, “Let us make people aware as all these clinics close so that they are forewarned. As they all close, let us let the community know.” That is a noble sentiment in itself but if that is her singular response to the number of clinics that have closed, I would say it is very limited and speaks volumes about the lack of imagination and the lack of ideas that we see from this government. She clearly does not understand that there is a broader situation at play.
I am very sympathetic to the people that are affected by these clinic closures. It is not just the ones that receive no notice. We saw the images on TV of patients who turned up to receive treatment at their GP clinic. For people that are most in need of treatment and care in our community—often the elderly—to be turned away because yet another clinic has closed is a disastrous situation.
It is diabolical, and certainly from our side of the house we are greatly dismayed about what is occurring. However, we are ultimately focused on the broader issue and that is how we can resolve the number of clinics that have closed. As a result, I move an amendment to Ms Porter’s motion that is now being circulated in my name:
Omit all words after “Assembly”, substitute:
“(1) notes that the abrupt closure of the Kippax Family Practice has caused significant concern and disruption to staff and patients and the local community;
(2) notes that on 25 March 2009 the ACT Legislative Assembly referred the issue of ‘access to primary care services’ to the Standing Committee on Health, Community and Social Services for inquiry; and
(3) notes that in response to the resolution of this Assembly to refer the issue of ‘access to primary care services’ to the Standing Committee on Health, Community and Social Services, the ACT Government has established a GP task force which will examine ‘legislative options to protect the rights of patients and the health workforce’.”.
What Ms Porter also seems to have failed to recognise is that we actually had things occurring in the house last week. We had an inquiry established that is going to look into GP closures in Canberra. You will remember that Ms Burch moved a motion that was unanimously agreed to. It talked about the need to look at the broader aspects of primary health care in the community. It speaks to some of the issues that you are concerned with.
In response to the debate in the Assembly, the health minister finally took action and put together a task force. One of the terms of reference for the task force is to look at legislative options to protect the rights of patients and the health workforce. I am not sure whether Ms Porter was awake and listening to that debate, whether she has been talking to the health minister or listening to what she has been saying in the media or reading the terms of reference, but this goes to the nub of the matter.
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