Page 1685 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 15 May 2019

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(2) calls on the ACT Government to:

(a) agree not to close The Canberra Hospital pool until an appropriate level of access at other suitable locations, readily accessible for those on Canberra’s southside can be continued;

(b) continue to work collaboratively with local stakeholders to include their input in the work that is currently underway to determine the current demand and usage of hydrotherapy and warm water facilities across the ACT; and

MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong) (11.20): I am pleased to rise and speak to this important issue. The ACT Greens understand that hydrotherapy services are crucial to the health and wellbeing of many Canberrans. We believe that these services should be available and accessible across the ACT community for those who need them.

As has been touched on in today’s debate, hydrotherapy can improve mobility and quality of life for people with a range of conditions or injuries, including arthritis and chronic pain, just to name a couple. We also know that regular exercise in a hydrotherapy pool has a preventive and rehabilitative effect for people with chronic muscular and osteo conditions. This enables them to maintain an active life in the community and makes it less likely they would require admission to hospital. I think we would all agree that hydrotherapy is a vital service that provides benefits for individuals and the broader health system.

For years many people in the Canberra community have accessed hydrotherapy services at the Canberra Hospital pool. However, in recent times there has been growing concern that with the Canberra Hospital pool scheduled to close in June this year, those on the south side of Canberra would not have adequate access to hydrotherapy facilities. While a new hydrotherapy pool was opened at the University of Canberra Hospital last year, and I understand that that pool is operating very well at the new hospital, the community has shared with me a number of concerns about this operating as a replacement for the Canberra Hospital pool.

First, there is concern that there will not be enough hours of availability at the UCH pool for community hydrotherapy users, given that for many hours each day it is rightly being used by hospital patients. The view that has been put to me by community organisations and some individuals I have spoken to about this is that demand for hydrotherapy services is growing and that there is sufficient demand to get effective use out of both of the pools, rather than having one replace the other.

Another concern that has been raised is the accessibility of the University of Canberra Hospital pool for people on the south side. That has been canvassed in the discussion today. The advice I have received is that while there are a number of other pools on the south side that can provide hydrotherapy and warm water exercise, they have different issues around cost, limited opening hours and perhaps the temperature of the pool. I see that there is going to be a discussion in detail about temperatures shortly. My advice is that, for the ideal therapeutic effect, hydrotherapy pools must be heated

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