Page 5216 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 27 October 2010

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video

That this Assembly:

(1) congratulates the West Belconnen Health Co-op Ltd for the excellent progress it is making in applying a local solution to address community health issues and general practitioner (GP) shortages in the West Belconnen area;

(2) notes that:

(a) the Co-op has attracted five doctors from outside the ACT, with a further two joining the Co-op in 2011;

(b) all GP services are bulk-billed;

(d) since opening its operations in 2010, the Co-op has expanded its operations in Charnwood and opened a new centre near the Belconnen Town Centre, funded entirely by the Co-op;

(e) an additional two bulk-billing doctors will be employed at the Belconnen centre;

(f) the Co-op will appoint a Community Relationships Manager in 2011 to integrate the services of the Co-op with the services provided by the Co-op’s community partners;

(g) the Co-op provides on-site medical services in six aged care facilities in Belconnen;

(h) over 5 400 people have joined the Co-op; and

(i) the Co-op has plans to establish links with the Australian National University and the University of Canberra to provide training support to the health and medical faculties at those institutions;

(3) acknowledges that:

(a) the ACT Government had committed seed funding of $200 000, subject to equal funding being provided by the Commonwealth;

(b) the Canberra Liberals supported the ACT Government’s commitment, but pledged a further $200 000 in the event the Commonwealth funding did not occur; and

(c) the Canberra Liberals committed a further $100 000 for the Co-op to study the feasibility of establishing a similar practice in Tuggeranong; and

(4) calls on the ACT Government to:

(a) explore opportunities for the establishment of similar community-based models in other parts of Canberra where there are shortages of GP

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video