Page 2834 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 14 August 2018
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system. Because of their indefatigable, compassionate work and extraordinary skill, Canberra can rest easy knowing that if we do get sick we will be well looked after.
This is not just lip-service. The ACT government invests a third of our budget in health care and health infrastructure for Canberrans. This year we will be investing as much as $1.7 billion and by 2021-22 this amount is set to rise to $2 billion a year. We will be allocating $64.7 million of this amount to increase the number of elective and emergency surgeries. The funding will enable ACT Health to conduct about 14,000 elective surgeries, an additional 1,000 each year. This will significantly improve access to surgical care and reduce wait times.
The budget also injects funds into the emergency department and the intensive care unit and it increases bed capacity. An amount of $21.2 million will be spent on more resources at the Canberra Hospital emergency department to reduce wait times and $25.9 million will be spent on hospital beds: that is more beds to enable our hospitals to cope with things like the awful flu seasons that we have.
A further $6.3 million will be used to fund dental, mental health and GP services and to expand health services at the Alexander Maconochie Centre. These investments all mean one thing, Mr Assistant Speaker: if we ever need to be admitted to a hospital, we will be treated to the highest possible standard by well qualified professionals with access to the very best facilities.
I am not a big fan of long hospital stays unless absolutely necessary. It can be difficult for many people to adjust to a hospital’s routine and being away from the company of their loved ones. Hospital in the home allows patients whose conditions can effectively and safely be managed without staying in hospital to receive high-quality acute care in the comfort of their own home. Patients can eat their own food, sleep in their own bed and avoid the risk of infection. Meanwhile, the hospital will have beds available for patients who need to be in hospital for treatment. With $34.5 million provided for hospital in the home, each year around 3,000 more patients will be able receive care at home or at community health centres.
Our health system is dependent on a strong network of health infrastructure. This infrastructure is crucial to making sure that all Canberrans have access to the medical care they need. I was delighted to join Minister Fitzharris ahead of the budget to announce our investment of $15 million in capital upgrades at Calvary Public Hospital. This funding will deliver better services in the emergency department. It means more treatment spaces, better-quality access and triage arrangements, improved waiting times and a bigger short stay unit with more paediatric beds.
The budget also allocates $561 million for continuing the progress on planning the three major projects that will enable the continued delivery of world-class health services as Canberra grows. These include the expansion of the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children, the determination of future hospital options for Canberra’s north side and the new surgical procedures, interventional radiology and emergency centre, or SPIRE—thank goodness for that acronym. SPIRE will provide more hospital beds, more elective and day surgery spaces, and modern surgical, procedural and imaging facilities.
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