Page 3184 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 22 August 2012
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MS GALLAGHER: In early September the Gungahlin community health centre will open. We will have an open day there too. So perhaps the Gungahlin members of the Liberal Party can grace us with their presence out at the fantastic new community health service where they will get access to a whole range of services that they have been travelling to Belconnen for—community nursing, nutrition, podiatry, physiotherapy, mental health and dental services.
I know that the people of Gungahlin are really looking forward to having a dental clinic in their local area as they have been travelling to get those services for children and young people. It is fantastic to see it. I think Manteena actually won an award at the MBA awards for the work that they have done on that. There is a range of other programs that have already been delivered through the HIP program and I am very happy to continue talking about them shortly.
MR SPEAKER: Ms Porter, a supplementary.
MS PORTER: Minister, have any of these infrastructure investments led to new models of care being developed that would deliver increased benefits to patients?
MS GALLAGHER: Following on from Ms Porter’s original question, we have already opened a number of different new services in both the Canberra Hospital and Calvary hospital—the intensive care unit, the high dependency and critical care unit at the Calvary hospital, the PET scanner, which is a much needed addition to treatment for people suffering from cancer, and of course the very popular walk-in centre, in addition to a number of other significant projects.
New models of care are being provided for in the women’s, babies’ and paediatric services. The new neo-natal intensive care unit, which I hope to get to visit this week in operation, has two-cot rooms to support the new model of care. It also adds some fantastic new privacy for parents of those tiny babies to be able to have their new babies cared for in such a wonderful environment.
We have also got the wireless network which will allow staff to use wireless phones and access and record information as they move around the hospital, rather than having to use computers on desks. That is also a fantastic addition and will support the hard work of the nurses and doctors in that unit.
We have also, of course, had the very popular nurse-led walk-in centre which is implementing the first public nurse-led primary healthcare service of this type. Again, it is very popular, with patients loving it and having high levels of those who would recommend it to other users, should they need it.
There are a range of programs underway. We are very proud of where the health infrastructure program has got to to date but there is much more to be done.
MR HANSON: A supplementary, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Hanson.
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