Page 2729 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 13 August 2019
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Directorate will work with Arthritis ACT on a modified version of option 2 to support members to identify suitable access to alternative hydrotherapy.
Yesterday, I wrote to the CEO of Arthritis ACT to confirm that we heard clearly from the recent community briefing that members had already had clinical assessments undertaken to access Arthritis ACT sessions. Rather than duplicate this work, I have asked the directorate to focus on mapping the current services provided through existing sessions to build a holistic assessment of need. The directorate will work with Arthritis ACT to determine the best methodology for this work, understanding that our aim is to provide continuity of support for individuals and groups to the greatest extent possible, rather than simply undertaking a clinical assessment exercise.
The CEO of Arthritis ACT has publicly acknowledged that this work is necessary to identify a short-term solution, accepting that the Canberra Hospital pool must close in the not too distant future. Longer term arrangements are the subject of recommendation 4, which is:
ACT Health Directorate should conduct a study of the costs and benefits and different models for the longer term establishment of a hydrotherapy facility in the south of Canberra.
Again, we will start work on this straight away. As a first step, the ACT Health Directorate will undertake a process of market sounding to determine whether there are non-government organisations who may be interested in working with the ACT government on the development of a new public hydrotherapy pool in Canberra’s south.
This process will take account of the very clear finding from Nous’s work and the community feedback that any new hydrotherapy pool should not be based at a hospital or acute health facility but rather in a community setting. This recognises hydrotherapy as an ongoing therapeutic activity for many people with chronic illness and/or chronic pain to maintain their mobility, manage their pain and gain important mental health benefits.
In developing the market sounding process, the ACT Health Directorate will work with Arthritis ACT and its members as well as the other major non-government users of public hydrotherapy facilities, the Cerebral Palsy Alliance, and the Health Care Consumers Association.
The government acknowledges the importance of access to both aquatic physiotherapy and maintenance therapy services in the ACT. The closure of the hydrotherapy pool at Canberra Hospital is not a decision that has been taken lightly. It would be much easier for me to stand here today and say we will just keep it open. However, this is simply not a safe or sustainable option. We cannot put off the pool’s closure indefinitely knowing that we are potentially putting its users and maintainers at risk. This is not something this government is willing to do; it is not something I can ask Canberra Health Services to do.
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