Page 3157 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 20 August 2019
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territory. Mostly, that is for elective surgery. I will take on notice the terms in relation to what happens in these kinds of situations.
MRS DUNNE: Minister, what did it cost to transfer patients to and accommodate them at National Capital Private Hospital on 14 August and subsequently?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Mrs Dunne for the supplementary. I will take that question on notice but I want to emphasise for the benefit of the Assembly that all of these arrangements are part of the Canberra Hospital’s plan in managing surges in demand for its services. It is, as I have said repeatedly, not uncommon for hospitals across the nation to face periods of increased demand, and that is why Canberra Health Services has clear processes in place to ensure the best possible ongoing care for all consumers.
I said last week and I will say again that of course the team at Canberra Health Services eases pressure across the hospital by creating internal capacity, discharging appropriate patients and transferring suitable patients to private hospitals. These are all totally legitimate strategies for managing an increase in demand on the Canberra Hospital, and I fail to understand what the opposition thinks they are seeking to achieve by pointing out to everybody that the Canberra Hospital has multiple strategies in place to manage an increase in demand.
Government—online community engagement panel
MR PETTERSSON: My question is to the Chief Minister. Chief Minister, can you provide an update on the government’s election commitment to introduce an online community engagement panel?
MR BARR: I thank Mr Pettersson for the question. I can advise members that around 2,200 Canberrans have now joined the panel. It has reached a point of statistical significance. It is both demographically and geographically representative of our city, with Canberrans from Tuggeranong, Gungahlin, Belconnen, Woden, Weston Creek, the inner north, the inner south and the Molonglo Valley all participating in the panel.
Input from the panel will help shape policies, programs and services for the future and allow the government to engage with a statistically significant and representative group of Canberrans. We will continue to seek to grow the panel and, each time it features in the media or in the government newsletter or in social media, membership grows.
MR PETTERSSON: Chief Minister, what data has the online panel already contributed to government policy?
MR BARR: The initial engagements have particularly focused on ACT government events. We have some useful information from the panel in regard to attendance and types of activities that people would like to see at events like Floriade, Nightfest and Enlighten, and the Wintervention festival that is the subject of current engagement from the panel. We look forward to utilising the feedback from the panel to help build and shape future ACT government events.
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