Page 2009 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 5 June 2018
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
MS CODY: Minister, what will the emergency department expansion and upgrades consist of?
MS FITZHARRIS: The government will be working closely with Calvary Public Hospital in Bruce to deliver this funding for Calvary, to deliver a vital upgrade and expansion of its emergency department and also to purchase the necessary clinical and diagnostic equipment.
With Calvary being an important hospital for Canberra’s fast-growing north side, this upgrade will deliver additional treatment spaces, improved access and triage arrangements, enhanced waiting areas and an expanded short-stay unit, importantly including paediatric short-stay beds within the emergency department.
In particular, the upgrade will deliver eight short-stay unit beds, bringing the total number of these beds at Calvary Public Hospital to 19. The ED upgrades will benefit patients, visitors and staff by making people more comfortable before and during their presentation and treatment.
A reconfigured setting will also facilitate the introduction of new models of care for emergency department presentations. This investment in Calvary will also support upgrades and replacement of essential equipment, including clinical and diagnostic equipment such as patient monitoring equipment and a new CT scanner. People living in Canberra’s north especially will see real benefit as a result of these works at Calvary Public Hospital, which will get underway next month.
MR PETTERSSON: Minister, how will this investment improve emergency waiting times and the delivery of emergency health services for Canberrans?
MS FITZHARRIS: Indeed, with a growing population, the Canberra Hospital emergency department anticipates close to 90,000 presentations this year, with further growth expected next year. Presentations at Calvary emergency department will reach almost 60,000 this year.
The expansion of Calvary Hospital’s emergency department will provide for the improved flow of patients through the ED, which will have a positive effect on emergency department wait times. Importantly, it will build on our investment in other areas of Calvary, including the maternity unit and recently completed upgrade to operating theatres to modernise the hospital and make the patient experience much more comfortable and provide a more modern and contemporary healthcare setting for Calvary staff.
The government’s significant commitment of additional funding for emergency services at Canberra Hospital will provide certainty, enabling the hospital to plan for and sustainably respond to demands more efficiently, effectively and in accord with our community’s growing needs. It will help improve hospital performance by investing in more acute beds for admission while enabling patients who do not require admission to be treated in a timely manner and, as a result, bring down emergency department wait times.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video