Page 4842 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 27 November 2018

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Centenary Hospital for Women and Children—maintenance

MR WALL: My question is to the minister for health. Minister, I refer to a letter from nurses and midwives at the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children sent to you in April. This letter said:

Due to the lack of available beds, women and babies are discharged home inappropriately early with feeding, pain or health concerns.

On 19 November 2018, the Canberra Times reported that extensive work has had to be done on the 15 delivery suites and bathrooms at the Centenary hospital due to water leaking into the wall cavities. Was the lack of available beds earlier this year related to the extensive work that needed to be done in the 15 delivery suites and bathrooms in the Centenary hospital?

MS FITZHARRIS: It certainly had an impact on services. Yes, it did, of course, because at certain points there had to be birthing suites which were unavailable. But as I have indicated previously in extensive debate in this place on these matters, the letter that was received in April has subsequently and very comprehensively been worked through with staff of the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children. I note, of course, that there is a maternity services review underway by this Assembly as well as considerable work being done on a maternity model for the ACT to provide a truly territory-wide maternity service to ACT women.

MR WALL: Minister, when were you first briefed about the water issues in the delivery suites and bathrooms; also when were you likewise briefed about a strategy for remediation of the 15 delivery suites and bathrooms at the Centenary hospital?

MS FITZHARRIS: I believe that these issues were identified prior to my becoming the minister for health, and I have been briefed on a number of occasions on progress to remediate them.

MRS JONES: Minister, if the letter of complaint has been comprehensively addressed, why did a nurse say to me in the Canberra Hospital this year, “They got one of the people who wrote this letter and she’s out, but they didn’t get the other one”?

MS FITZHARRIS: I do not believe that to be correct.

Canberra Hospital—asbestos

MR HANSON: My question is to the minister for health. Minister, is there asbestos in the Canberra Hospital that is currently being, or has recently been, renovated or remediated?

MS FITZHARRIS: I am sorry; could Mr Hanson repeat the question?


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