Page 2637 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 7 August 2013
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The decision to locate the centre on the hospital campus was heavily influenced by interest groups. The difficult computer system was adding as much as 50 per cent to the time nurses spent in consultation, and the centre had been marketed to a specific demographic group rather than those in need of access to primary care.
The report found that despite seeking out evidence, this seems to have been used selectively and cautiously, at times misinterpreted and largely influenced by the views of interest groups. That is part of what the review into the walk-in centre found.
We also know from the 2009 ACT Health emergency department strategic plan that the walk-in centre was not expected to provide any improvement in performance at the Canberra Hospital site. I will quote what is said. It is stated that it “is not expected to provide an improvement in performance,” was “likely to create demand” and “should not be regarded as a strategy that will contribute to ED performance”.
Under “Future strategy and implementation plans/considerations” the strategic plan also stated that, “It will not target the majority of category 3 and category 4 patients, the clear group requiring intervention. Walk-in clinics are not expected to produce an improvement based on publication of experience.” The nub is, and I will make this point clear because I want to repeat it, that the plan also states, “They should not be regarded as a strategy that will contribute to ED performance. They should not be used as a strategy to contribute to ED performance and, further, are likely to create demand.”
What we know is that the review of the walk-in centre that was conducted by the academics found it was going to apply pressure because it was in the wrong space. I will go to some more detail around that. But Katy Gallagher’s own department said the walk-in centre should not be promoted as a strategy to reduce pressure on the ED.
But the Chief Minister and health minister ignored that advice. She ignored what her own department was saying. She put out a number of press releases that contradicted the evidence and the advice. There was a joint media release by the Prime Minister, the minister for health and the then ACT Deputy Chief Minister, Katy Gallagher on 25 May 2009 saying, “The Rudd government today announced $10 million to establish a walk-in centre at the Canberra Hospital to help take pressure off its busy emergency department.”
There was a joint media release by the federal minister for health and the ACT Deputy Chief Minister Katy Gallagher on 12 May 2010 which stated, “Substantial work has gone into developing this innovative model of care which aims to reduce pressures on services such as emergency departments.”
Again on 27 December 2011, we were told that it was “particularly positive and is helping to alleviate the pressures on our busy public hospital emergency department”. But that is not true because the review found that, contrary to the rationale of putting the walk-in centre at the ED, as the department said in their own strategy it did not work. It actually increased the activity at the ED. I quote from the report:
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