Page 3538 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 18 September 2019
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MADAM SPEAKER: I am aware of your question, Mrs Dunne, and I believe she is on the scope of the work and the cost. Minister, you have got time left.
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: As I was saying, stage 1 works in building 2 involve the physical installation of boards, and that is complete, with the boards active since August 2019. Completion of building works is ongoing and subject to clinical operational constraints.
The staged works in building 12 are scheduled for completion in December 2019, subject to clinical operational constraints, with additional minor ancillary works. This work is staged so that power is maintained to critical clinical functions at all times, and the staging reflects the methodology adopted to manage the significant challenges in working, as I said, with ageing infrastructure where it is not possible to quantify—(Time expired.)
Health—elective surgery
MRS JONES: My question is to the Minister for Health. Minister, in 2017-18 the number of people waiting longer than clinically recommended for elective surgery was 410. In the last financial year 699 people waited longer than clinically recommended for elective surgery. Minister, why has the number of people waiting longer than clinically recommended for elective surgery blown out?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: Of course, in the last quarter there was an 18 per cent increase in elective surgeries completed compared to the previous quarter, and last year the health services across the ACT exceeded their target of 14,000 elective surgeries for 2018-19, which was a record for the ACT. What Mrs Jones has neglected to mention—
Mrs Jones: A point of order.
MADAM SPEAKER: Resume your seat, please, minister.
Mrs Jones: The point of order is on relevance. The minister was asked why there was a blowout in the numbers, not what great work her department had done.
MADAM SPEAKER: Thank you, Mrs Jones. The minister does have over a minute left. To that point in the time you have left, minister.
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I was looking up the data from the quarterly report because I thought Mrs Jones’s question was incorrect. Indeed at the end of June 2019 there were 635 people who were overdue patients waiting for elective surgery, not 699. Of course, this reflected a reduction of nine per cent in the number of overdue patients—
Mrs Jones: A point of order.
MADAM SPEAKER: Resume your seat, minister. Mrs Jones, on a point of order.
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