Page 2661 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 29 June 2010
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
.
That is what this is about. I cannot for one second think why the Liberals have a problem with that. Do they want a situation where Health is ignoring concerns from surgeons that people are not being categorised correctly and, therefore, potentially getting access to surgery ahead of someone with a more urgent condition who is missing out because of the amount of category 1 patients coming through? I would be very surprised if the Liberals would have a problem with that.
Is ACT Health not even able to ask a doctor whether someone is inappropriately categorised, or potentially inappropriately categorised? Is it not able to ask: “Is this an appropriate categorisation for this patient? It seems like it might not be.”? If we are not even allowed to ask the question then there is potentially a lack of discipline in how we manage our list. ACT Health has to manage the list. The clinical director has to manage the list—
Mr Hanson: They are all ingrown toenails, aren’t they, minister?
MS GALLAGHER: Mr Hanson yells out about ingrown toenails. This is another example I have been given: excision of a wart, category 1. In some cases, the excision of a wart may be category 1 but is the clinical director not allowed to ask the question of the surgeon, “Is this a category 1?”? That is what the policy outlines.
ACT Health does not approach doctors and say, “Reclassify your patient into category 2a.” It does not do that and nothing you have been able to show the Assembly today supports that. Health have a policy. They have letters. Much to Dr Ashman’s concern, a paper that he has freely written for discussion with his colleagues is now the subject of close scrutiny in this place.
Mr Seselja: Nothing like scrutiny, hey, Katy.
MS GALLAGHER: Look, this is the head surgeon at the hospital saying: “Guys, a problem has been raised with me. This is my idea about how we manage it.”
Mr Hanson: Were you aware of the problem? Were you aware of the problem?
MS GALLAGHER: No, I was not aware of Dr Ashman’s draft policy. But I imagine there are—
Mr Hanson: Were you aware of the problem?
MS GALLAGHER: I have had the problem of inappropriately classifying patients raised with me. I have said that. I have not had the problem of surgeons being bullied into downgrading their patients raised, which is the allegation that you put to me and the question that you put to me last week. I have not had that. And ACT Health do not do that. What they do is manage their lists, as New South Wales does, as Queensland does, as Tasmania does.
All jurisdictions have a process where they audit their lists to make sure that those with the most urgent conditions get access to theatre times first. That is what this is
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video