Page 870 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 16 March 2010
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
MS GALLAGHER: Because the surgeons do not agree. If the surgeons do not agree—and perhaps it is useful to go to the reasons why the surgeons do not agree—then I cannot force that change, because if I force the change—
Mr Smyth: Have you considered any other options?
MS GALLAGHER: We are always looking at how to improve the efficiency of the elective surgery program, but if I forced the pooling, which is not accepted in this territory, and has never been achieved under any government of any political persuasion, I should point out, I would shut down all surgery at both hospitals. Mr Smyth, I have weighed it up and I do not think that is a good outcome.
My preferred way forward is to meet with the surgeons—as I do, and we have a surgical task force that meets—and talk with them about how to improve people’s access to elective surgery. We have done the extra theatres; we have done the extra staff; we have done the extra operating hours. We have done those things, and now we need to move to the next stage of how to keep improving the efficiency of the list. And there are issues such as pooling. There are issues such as putting work out to the private sector, particularly in those specialty areas where the services that we offer at the Canberra Hospital could be offered in the private system and, where we do not have the staff necessarily at the Canberra Hospital to do that, we rely on VMOs to do that work. So there are other areas which we continue to investigate.
I note in Mr Hanson’s little issues paper the idea that you put work out to the private sector. We do that from time to time. But, again, it is not something that is supported by the surgeons.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Smyth?
MR SMYTH: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Minister, what legacy on waiting lists and waiting times will you leave to your successor?
MS GALLAGHER: The legacy at the moment is that we will be doing thousands more procedures, thousands, every year than the Liberals were ever able to do. And do you know why? It was not just your elective surgery program; it was the fact that you cut 114 beds. For those that live in the black and white world of the Liberal Party, the lazy, black and white world—
Mr Hanson: Mr Speaker, a point of order.
MR SPEAKER: Stop the clock, please.
Mr Hanson: The question specifically related to waiting times, not to the number of procedures conducted. If the minister could address the substance of the question—
MR SPEAKER: I think the question was about Ms Gallagher’s legacy, Mr Hanson. Ms Gallagher, you have the floor. There is no point of order.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video