Page 2434 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 30 July 2019
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
government’s rhetoric in such an unconscionable and unthinking way as Mr Gupta has done here today.
There is much that I could say in support of the wonderful staff that we have in the health system, and much that I could say about how little respect the government, the Health Directorate and the management in the hospital have for them. I will encapsulate it in a story that was brought to my attention at a family gathering recently.
Some members may have seen on the hospital Facebook page, and reported by the ABC, the retirement of a very senior, highly qualified and long-serving member of the Canberra Hospital nursing staff. This person had been a nurse for 51 years—I think 44 of those years in the Canberra Hospital or its predecessors. She worked in radiology for a long period of that time, and many people in this town owe their lives to her work and the work of her colleagues.
It was interesting that on the last day she put in her swing tag, got in the car and was driving home, and she got a phone call from the hospital to say, “Do you think you could come back in?” “No, I’ve retired and I’ve finished my last day.” “But we’d like to do a story on your career.” She had been there for 44 years; you would think that they could have got to her before she clocked off for the last time.
She was encouraged to come back in and the hospital provided her with a certificate of appreciation, which is something that the hospital do not do. Generally speaking, they do not recognise long service, but on this occasion they did. When she got the certificate, it said she had been at the hospital for 51 years, not 44. When she asked for it to be fixed up, they said, “Don’t worry about it; it’s all right.” But it mattered to her that the hospital could not recognise her service, even at the last, in this way. That is a testament to the way this government and this hospital service treat their nurses.
MS CHEYNE (Ginninderra) (3.56): As we have heard, nurses can have a lasting impact on the patients they treat and care for, and it is a privilege to speak about their value today. In doing so, I want particularly to reflect on and share some of the recent stories told to me about the high quality care and services that the nurses at the Belconnen walk-in centre provide and have provided for over five years now. I will take a moment to wish the centre a very happy fifth birthday.
I will leave reflections on Mrs Dunne’s comments to others, but I note that she said that the opposition does not disrespect the nurses at the centres, yet just over an hour ago I heard, in response to Ms Cody’s question about what can be treated at the walk-in centres, a member of the opposition mutter, “Not a lot.” I am pleased to say that, based on the feedback I have, that could not be further from the truth.
Xiaolan recently shared with me:
It was a wonderful experience when I was seeking help a few months ago with a minor burn, and got very useful tips for dealing with burns. Definitely an important part of health services worthy of scaling up!
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video