Page 2084 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 6 June 2018
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ACT Health—proposed organisational changes
MRS KIKKERT: My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. Minister, on 11 April 2018, in answer to a question about the restructure of ACT Health, you said the restructure involved your office but not just your office. Documents obtained under FOI indicate that the Chief Minister made the decision with no evidence of significant involvement by you or Mr Rattenbury in the decision-making process. Your office was involved in developing the communications strategy after the decision had been taken. Minister, why is there no record of you, your office or your directorate playing a significant role in the decision taken by the Chief Minister to restructure ACT Health?
MS FITZHARRIS: I refer to answers in this place yesterday, and to previous statements by me, by Minister Rattenbury and by the Chief Minister. I also can confirm, once again—as three ministers did yesterday to rebut any conspiracy theory that the opposition may have—that I had considerable input into this decision. I also had a number of meetings, including with the Head of Service, with Minister Rattenbury and with the Chief Minister, on this matter. I am very much looking forward to continuing the work to make sure that the separation of ACT Health occurs later this year and involves extensive consultation with the community, stakeholders and particularly with ACT Health staff.
MRS KIKKERT: Minister, will you table by tomorrow all documents in your possession about the decision to restructure ACT Health?
MS FITZHARRIS: The opposition has done an FOI, and I refer the opposition also to my previous extensive statements in this place about that decision and the process from here until 1 October. I also note that I attended a number of ACT Health staff forums where I discussed this matter with staff.
MRS DUNNE: Minister, why is there no record of the Chief Minister consulting with you or your directorate before he took the decision to restructure ACT Health on 15 March?
MS FITZHARRIS: I think the record is one of extensive comment in this place and on the public record.
Hospitals—waiting times
MR PARTON: My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. On 22 February this year you advised the Assembly that:
On the issue of waiting times in both elective surgery and emergency departments, it is clear that we are making improvements …
You advised the Assembly on at least nine occasions between August last year and February this year that waiting times for elective surgery were coming down. The ACT budget papers show that the target for emergency department presentations seen
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