Page 3431 - Week 08 - Thursday, 23 August 2012
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addressed by health professionals, which is a major positive. NSPs have been in operation in the community for years and are recognised as part of addressing drug use, which includes treatment and prevention.
There is a recommendation in the report in regard to hepatitis C treatment, but I am noting, as I have previously, that this treatment is dependent on a person’s gene type and that factors such as body weight should be recognised.
I have to note Mr Hanson’s speech. It is good to see that he has finally looked at the Health Directorate. I did not want to go there, but I do find it extraordinary that in the last four years, particularly in the last couple of months, there have been unprecedented attacks on the Health Directorate—saying it is the worst in the country. It is not. As I said before, there are good things and bad things. I have to find what happened today in Mr Hanson’s speech extremely disingenuous.
MS GALLAGHER (Molonglo—Chief Minister, Minister for Health and Minister for Territory and Municipal Services) (5.10): I welcome the opportunity to speak on this very important line item. This budget allocates new expenditure in the total of $155.1 million over four years across a range of directorates. In the health budget there are substantial amounts of funding going across a range of different areas, including into increasing the intensive care unit capacity, providing for new beds across the hospital system, with growth in demand for surgery, both in Calvary and in Canberra Hospital—indeed, with some of our private partnerships. There are increased allocations for cancer; increased allocations in mental health services, in both the government and non-government sectors; and increased funds for chronic disease management. And tomorrow I will be tabling the Chief Health Officer’s report, and that will clearly show some of the areas where we need to continue to focus in this area.
We have also got increased funds to open the new cots in the neonatal intensive care unit, a very important regional service. Also, we have funds to provide extra staff for the Gungahlin health centre, which will open during September. There is also funding in the budget, $12 million, to enhance emergency department services; $1.8 million to provide money to increase our share of the blood supply plan; and funds for increased counselling and volunteer services with A Gender Agenda.
And, for the first time, there is allocation of funding to formulate a healthy weight action plan for the city. Whilst the money is allocated to health, this will very much be a whole-of-government piece of work that takes into account our planning, active transport, health and education. It is a very important piece of work that I do not think has had any scrutiny at all since the budget was tabled, or not to any great degree.
This is a very significant part of the ACT budget, the largest expenditure item across any directorate. It is an agency that does an incredible amount of work. Outside the emergency services, and perhaps services like corrections that provide services 24 hours a day seven days a week, I cannot think of an agency where you have the level of attention, pressure and demand that you will see in the Health Directorate. They deserve this Assembly’s respect. There are a number of areas of pressure, as we know, in the hospital, but the hospital is staffed by incredibly dedicated staff right across the area.
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