Page 2651 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 7 August 2013
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(a) in March 2013 the Health Minister tabled the Emergency Access Plan 2013-17, which outlined the Government’s plans for improving patient flow and waiting times at the Emergency Departments at Canberra and Calvary Hospitals;
(b) the 2013-2014 ACT Budget funds a number of targeted initiatives which will improve performance and waiting times in our Emergency Departments, such as planning for a new public hospital, introducing a rapid assessment unit at Calvary, increasing resources at The Canberra Hospital Emergency Department and introducing mobile primary healthcare; and
(c) the Auditor-General will be conducting a review in 2014-2015 on progress of implementation of the recommendations from the Performance Report 6/2012—Emergency Department Performance Information; and
(3) calls on the Minister for Health to table:
(a) ACT Health implementation plans regarding the establishment of a paediatric stream in the Emergency Department; and
(b) implementation plans for the forthcoming walk-in centres at Tuggeranong and Belconnen, including consultation with key stakeholders.”.
DR BOURKE (Ginninderra) (4.26): I oppose Mr Hanson’s motion. I wonder whether Mr Hanson has read the patient satisfaction statistics in the Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute review that he thinks is so damning. Mr Gentleman has. For the benefit of Mr Hanson, I will quote from page 58 where it says:
The majority of respondents left the Walk-in Centre (96%) without any unanswered questions. Eighty-three percent would definitely and 16% would probably recommend the Walk-in Centre to family and friends. Eighty-two percent would definitely and 16% would probably use the Walk-in Centre again.
The report adds:
The patient satisfaction with the Walk-in Centre is high and suggests that a quality service is being provided to the community.
I do not know what Mr Hanson wants for his constituents, but this service sounds very good to me. Despite Mr Hanson’s carping, I want one in my electorate. The even better news is that Belconnen residents and people working in Belconnen are getting one at the new Belconnen health centre that will include a nurse-led walk-in centre.
The walk-in centre will increase the range of options for people seeking advice or medical assistance and take the pressure off other frontline services efficiently and effectively. The walk-in centre is just one of the benefits from the $9 million allocated in this budget for the newly completed new Belconnen health centre which greatly expands the range of community health services available in Ginninderra.
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