Page 189 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 10 February 2010
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We do await the commonwealth’s response, but we cannot wait for their response indefinitely before we start to act locally. I believe that what is needed is a new long-term approach to health in the ACT in which a greater emphasis is given to the provision of preventive care, early intervention and health care in the community.
Ms Gallagher: Wow! What a revelation!
MR HANSON: There is a need to change where and how health care is provided to ensure that our scarce and expensive public hospital beds are not the only option for patients who could be better treated at home or in less intensive subacute community facilities.
Ms Gallagher: Have you been reading our brochures again, Mr Hanson?
MR HANSON: I notice continuous interjections from the minister.
Ms Gallagher: It is hard to take him seriously—very hard.
MR HANSON: Despite the fact that she is interjecting from across the benches, we have seen little evidence of the government pursuing such policy. There is also a need to better coordinate the activities of our public and private hospitals, our health service providers and health consumers so that the patient is at the centre of the system. Our focus should change to an emphasis on wellness rather than sickness.
The ACT is unique in its size, both in terms of geography and population. This reduces some of the complexity and, I think, provides scope to implement significant changes without the same difficulties facing other states and territories. The ACT has a chance to provide a model for how health care is delivered in Australia, and we could potentially lead the way in any health reform as part of federal and state governments.
The ACT is, however, limited by funds that it can invest in developing new programs. The intention, therefore, as we move forward should not be to simply invent or develop new programs but, rather, to scrutinise successful strategies and emerging programs and initiatives within the ACT—I certainly acknowledge that there are a number—and elsewhere in Australia and overseas to determine where they could be expanded or adapted for use in the ACT.
I will outline the changes that I am calling for: firstly, a change in focus from treatment at the acute hospital end of the healthcare spectrum to one that has a greater emphasis on prevention, detection, early intervention and care in the community; secondly, better coordination of all those elements of health care, including the involvement of public and private health service providers, community groups, ACT and federal government resources, and patients; thirdly, the provision of more specialised subacute beds and services for patients who could be better cared for outside hospitals in their homes or in facilities such as residential aged care.
I note just today in the Australian that there is an article with regard to the number of hospital beds tied up by elderly patients. The number across Australia is 3,000. The
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