Page 1979 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 6 May 2009
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The government is committed to investing in health to create a strong, well-resourced and responsive public health system both in our hospitals and in the community. This initiative will provide the capacity to incorporate targeted GP services into comprehensive north side health precincts for Canberrans. Funding is also provided for the establishment of a walk-in centre at the Canberra Hospital.
In addition to the enhanced community health centre, the budget provided $2.1 million to refurbish an existing area of the Canberra Hospital for a new walk-in centre—another key election commitment of the Labor Party. This walk-in centre will provide easy and quick access to medical care for people with minor illnesses or injuries and the aim is to reduce pressure from our very busy emergency department and overworked ACT GP population by providing an alternative service for people with low level health needs. This model has been the result of extensive consultation with the community and with professional health stakeholder groups.
In addition to this considerable capital commitment in the budget, recurrent funding continues to be provided to meet growth in acute, mental health, aged care and cancer services—(Time expired.)
MR SPEAKER: Ms Porter, a supplementary question?
MS PORTER: Minister, can you provide more information on why this funding was factored into the budget for future years and what effect it has on health care in the territory?
MS GALLAGHER: In 2006 the government decided to index health growth at six per cent per annum, just over six per cent per annum, in that year and into every outyear. The base funding envelope for ACT Health has been maintained to continue to provide budget certainty despite the pressures linked to the global financial crisis.
The government recognise that demand for health services is growing and will continue to grow. We have an increasing local and surrounding population and an ageing population that will continue to place pressure on the health system. The funding certainty allows ACT Health to meet the activity and price adjustments, including salary increases through collective agreements and indexation on consumables.
I have to say that we are the only government, as I understand it, in the country that indexes health at six per cent and provides it into the forward estimates. That gives us stability to plan, to organise, to recruit workforce to the territory—
Opposition member interjecting—
MS GALLAGHER: I am not going to respond to interjections, Mr Speaker. I do not actually even know what he is talking about.
For the information of members, the ACT government funds the health system about 70 per cent of the health costs and the commonwealth government provides about
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