Page 48 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 13 February 2018
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highest life expectancy in Australia, and we have had the highest or equal highest life expectancy in Australia since 2005. Between 2008 and 2016, the ACT has had the lowest age-standardised all-cause mortality rate across the states and territories. Not only are we living longer; we have a lower incidence of death compared to the rest of the country. This does not come by accident; this comes from having a high quality health system. We have high levels of immunisation. In the last financial year, the ACT was the only jurisdiction to achieve at least 95 per cent immunisation coverage for every antigen for children aged 12 months to less than 15 months. In 2015-16, the ACT had a lower rate of potentially preventable hospitalisations and selected vaccine preventable conditions compared to the national figure.
This government will continue to invest in our health system, promote healthy lifestyles and expand existing health services and preventative programs here in the ACT.
MR STEEL: Minister, in the report on government services information, how well is the ACT served with health professionals?
MS FITZHARRIS: The ACT has a very strong record of investment in our health system and our health workforce. In 2015-16 the ACT had the highest overall rate of full-time equivalent medical staff. We have committed $36 million in investment to increase and develop the ACT Health nursing workforce.
We have also been developing a targeted approach to attracting medical specialists to come and work in our wonderful health service and city, letting them know about the significant investments this government will make in health infrastructure and health services. This is in response to some specific specialist skill shortages but will target the broader medical profession.
As I mention our highly skilled workforce, I do want to acknowledge the hardworking and dedicated doctors, nurses, health professionals, other allied health staff and teams who work very hard every day to ensure that the Canberra community receives the highest level of health care. We simply cannot be the healthiest city in the country without having a high quality health service. We also have high rates of dental therapists. Our primary healthcare providers, GPs and allied health professionals who work in the primary healthcare space are often the first point of contact for health care.
Now we know, of course, that they have been let down by the only remaining remnant of that appalling 2014-15 Liberal budget, the Medicare rebate freeze, but the ACTÂ government is committed to supporting our GPs. Just yesterday we saw the opening of bulk-billing grants to support additional access to increased bulk-billing services in the Molonglo Valley and the Tuggeranong Valley. Nurses, of course, are integral to our healthcare services at the tertiary-community level as well as in our popular nurse-led walk-in centres. I look forward to the ACT health workforce continuing to grow and provide excellent healthcare services to our community.
MS CHEYNE: Can the minister expand on the ACT showing improvements in elective surgery waiting times, as demonstrated in the report on government services information?
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