Page 3240 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 23 August 2017
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on health services right across the country. As we do in many winter periods, we plan extensively for those. We are seeing a very significant flu season, which is yet to peak and, which is yet to conclude.
What we are doing is what good and responsible governments do, and that is encouraging people and reminding people that they can seek health services in a number of different settings at our two emergency departments in Canberra. For those residents nearby in New South Wales, they can seek treatment at the Queanbeyan emergency department. We have our nurse walk-in centres in Belconnen and Tuggeranong. And of course there are many GP practices, some of which open after hours and on the weekend. There are also the National Home Doctor Service and CALMS.
We are encouraging people and reminding people of the most appropriate setting in which they can seek a variety of different health services. I am very confident of and very pleased with the very hard work of our doctors, nurses and allied health staff right across the hospital but particularly in the emergency departments at this time of year. They are remaining very responsive to the community, continuing to provide the high quality health care that is their professional duty. As minister, my responsibility is to ensure that we are providing the community with enough information and providing our health practitioners with the right setting for them to deliver health care for Canberrans.
MS LAWDER: Minister, why have you stated twice in the past month here in the Assembly that Canberra Hospital waiting times are coming down?
MS FITZHARRIS: Because, in the broad trajectory of waiting times, they are coming down.
MS LEE: Minister, will you table in the Assembly by close of today the evidence that waiting times are coming down?
MS FITZHARRIS: I have answered this question on a number of occasions. There are a range of different waiting times, depending on, of course, which triage category you will be in. As I also said—
Opposition members interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Minister, resume your seat, please. Stop the clock. Members, less than 15 seconds into the answer, the minister could not be heard because of interjections from multiple members on the opposition benches. I call the minister.
MS FITZHARRIS: I have also indicated, as members well know, that there is a data review process underway. I have indicated as well that in the September sittings I will be providing the next quarterly update on that, and also providing members with a response to how ACT Health are going to report on their ongoing data performance in the period under which the health data review takes place.
Mrs Jones: A point of order.
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