Page 3569 - Week 11 - Thursday, 23 October 2014
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We are also continuing to see very good improvements in the number of people waiting too long for care with a 67 per cent reduction in long-wait patients, which is a very good result. The median wait time is also improving, although, as I have said a number of times in this place, I do not think the median wait time actually reflects whether the elective surgery program is tracking well, because there is no consistency of management of elective surgery waiting lists across the country.
These improvements are really encouraging, and credit must go to the doctors and nurses and theatre scheduling staff across the system who have worked hard to deliver these results for the ACT community.
MADAM SPEAKER: Dr Bourke, a supplementary question.
DR BOURKE: Minister, what other initiatives is ACT Health considering in an effort to continue to improve the delivery of elective surgery in the public health system?
MS GALLAGHER: As members will know, there have been recommendations in this place to develop a single waiting list by integrating the two hospitals and getting their waiting lists managed more effectively across the ACT. This has been agreed to by the ACT government. The central wait list we are hoping to commence in early 2015. This has also been a recommendation through the territory-wide surgical services team, which is now progressing this particular initiative and which is being led by a doctor himself in consultation with all of the surgeons across the two hospitals.
The aim is to develop and coordinate a centralised wait list. It will include a centralised area to receive and process all requests for admission for elective surgery, streamline the process of placing patients on to the appropriate elective surgery waiting list, ensure compliance with the elective surgery and waiting time policy, and work collaboratively with all of the surgical service providers in the delivery of the publicly funded program.
We are also working on changes to ear, nose and throat services in the ACT, which is the area which continues to experience the longest waits for non-urgent operations. The demand for it is very significant and it continues to grow at a rapid rate. ACT Health is prioritising working with the ENT surgeons to manage the growth in demand so we can ensure patients get their operations as soon as possible. I am hopeful that we will be able to announce further detail on this in the near future.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Ms Porter.
MS PORTER: Minister, how has ACT Health worked with the private sector in the delivery of elective surgery?
MS GALLAGHER: I thank Ms Porter for her supplementary question. We have worked very closely with the private sector—it has been a good result—over the last four years. The major area of work has been in ear, nose and throat surgery. There have been, 1,098 elective surgery procedures performed in the private sector since this
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