Page 2698 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 6 June 2012
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through the agreement with the government, and this has been progressed. So there are things that can be done, but there are limited ways in which all states and territories can act in this particular space.
In regard to the nurse practitioner clinics, as I understand it—and this is from talking to various community health organisations—there are delays in it being progressed due to issues raised by medical groups about where they would be located and the scope of practice of the nurse practitioners themselves, which essentially led to the first clinic being located at the Canberra Hospital. I have to say that the Greens would have liked to have seen these clinics progressed by now and located in community settings. It would, most likely I think, have been better if the first clinic was not located at the Canberra Hospital and that the nurse practitioners were able to actually practise the full scope of their practice.
The Greens very much support establishing nurse practitioner led clinics and allowing them to fulfil their full scope of practice, as I have said. It provides another area, along with, as I have already said, space for GPs in community health centres, health cooperatives where the ACT can have an impact on primary healthcare delivery.
I have to say that the Liberals still have not said whether they actually support the concept of nurse practitioner clinics. That is again something which I have not heard. I will stand corrected if they have actually said that, but I have not heard them say whether or not they support that particular concept.
Regarding the secure mental health facility, the delays in this facility are of great concern to the Greens, as we believe this is a service that the ACT needs. There were delays—again this is from my discussions with community organisations—due to different views on what the model and costs were in what was being proposed.
I was very pleased to see that the forward design funding has been refunded in this budget. I think, with this particular service, the way to progress this now, because of some of the differences in views on the previous model that was put forward, is to actually have input and agreement from the mental health community sector and organisations about the model that is pursued. Once again, I think most people agree this is a service we need but the sort of model that is pursued and the costs involved do need agreement from the mental health community so that it is successful.
In terms of delays in health infrastructure projects, the key health project that had a delay, from what I understand, was the mental health unit. Again this is from discussions with community organisations. This was largely due to requests that were made by consumers in terms of getting the design and model of care right.
The other I am aware of is—and again I will stand to be corrected—the birth centre which, again, was also in relation to further consultation with and requests from groups involved with the birth centre, such as Friends of the Birth Centre.
With regard to the claims about the VMOs stating Ms Gallagher should step down, the Visiting Medical Officers Association is, as far as I am aware, the only organisation that has made this request. I have not heard of other groups, such as the
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