Page 3488 - Week 08 - Thursday, 18 August 2011
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Additionally, it is essential that we do not overburden the health system with multiple, complex reporting requirements that divert resources away form the core business of providing patient care. Accordingly, the government believes that any further development of performance reporting should be directly aligned with the improved national reporting arrangements that all governments have committed to. The territory is not alone. It should be noted that the other states and territories are not reporting outcome measures much differently to the way we do here. Capturing and then reporting outcome measures is quite difficult. It is not as easy as counting the numbers of people who turn up to our emergency departments or the time it takes from point A to point B. To get a good measure of outcomes you almost need to follow patients right through the health service delivery journey to establish a true outcome rating. This can be difficult to achieve.
There are also some major debates around definitions and processes for determining accurate outcome measures. As you can see, Madam Deputy Speaker, the government is committed to ensuring that the public are aware of all aspects of population health, as well as health system performance reporting. Once again, Minister Gallagher is aware there is more to be done and will continue to monitor what, when and how we will report the range of health service performance indicators into the future.
The first report for 2011-12 will be developed and published following completion of the first quarter. The report will reflect the changes that have been implemented through the restructure of health services. As members may be aware, ACT Health, now the Health Directorate, underwent a restructure of services in March this year, so it is important that our reporting is in line with these changes. At the Assembly’s request and consistent with the Chief Minister’s commitment to an open and transparent government, the minister will be sure to highlight all aspects of the quarterly performance report, be they positive or negative. The government will also be looking at expanding the type and nature of information we report to the community in the future.
Global economic situation
Statement by minister
MR BARR (Molonglo—Deputy Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Education and Training and Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation), by leave: I thank the opposition for their enthusiasm for the statement. Madam Deputy Speaker, given the events of recent weeks and months, I would like to take this opportunity to provide an update on the outlook for the territory economy.
It is important to state from the outset that the fundamentals of our economy remain strong. Seasonally adjusted state final demand, or SFD, grew by 3.3 per cent in the March quarter 2011, and this was the strongest growth rate in the country. In the nine months to March 2011 SFD grew by a solid six per cent, the strongest three-quarter growth rate since the June quarter 2007 and again the strongest growth compared to other jurisdictions.
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