Page 4596 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 19 October 2010
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The government has focused on improving retention by improving rates of pay. That is what that work value case was all about. That investment is now flowing through, with significant pay increases now flowing to our intensive care paramedics—in the order of about a 25 per cent pay increase, which is a very significant pay increase, I am sure all members would agree. It recognises the very valuable work that our ambulance officers do.
MR SPEAKER: A supplementary, Ms Hunter?
MS HUNTER: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Minister, what work has the government done to respond to the Lennox recommendation that it consider increasing the number of front-line ambulance staff working during peak times?
MR CORBELL: The government has already provided funding in recent budgets to expand the number of ambulances available in peak times. We now have demand-based crewing in place so that we roster on more crews at busy times rather than having a set establishment across each shift during the day. That is a significant change that has already taken place. The government is considering further enhancements to that, based on the Lennox review. That will be considered through the forthcoming budget process for the 2011-12 budget year.
MR SMYTH: A supplementary.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Smyth.
MR SMYTH: Minister, following the debacle of your management of the Rural Fire Service that culminated in the process out the front of this place, what confidence can the people of Canberra and members of the ACT Ambulance Service have in your leadership on these issues?
MR CORBELL: More confidence than they would have in Mr Smyth, Mr Speaker.
Health—new services
MS PORTER: My question is to the Minister for Health. Minister, can you please advise members of the Assembly of the range of new health services that have recently commenced in line with the government’s commitments to the people of Canberra?
MS GALLAGHER: I thank Ms Porter for the question. Since the Assembly last sat, we have been able to implement a number of commitments that we made to the community two years ago in the area of health. The first one was the opening of the surgical assessment and planning unit at the Canberra Hospital which provides 16 additional beds to support the early transferral of patients from the emergency department into a ward close to the emergency department while further assessment and diagnosis is done.
This is modelled on the very successful MAPU that operates on level 7 of the hospital—which is the medical assessment and planning unit—which has a similar
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