Page 4225 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 23 October 2019
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MR RATTENBURY: I do not necessarily agree with the premise of Ms Lawder’s question. As I outlined in my earlier answer, I think that there is a range of ways that people are dealt with in the emergency department, depending on the nature of their mental health concern, and I think that it is best that those decisions are left to the treating teams in the emergency department who are very well prepared for the circumstances they are in. That said, I have been-up front about the fact that we have been experiencing considerable additional demand.
For me, this is not simply a matter of providing more acute services but also making sure that we invest in resources and projects that actually keep people out of the emergency department, to go up the line, to seek to avoid people getting to that acute point in time. Certainly an initiative like the PACER project, which we announced in this year’s budget and is now well underway in its development, will, I think, be an important example of the kind of initiative that will actually help keep people out of the emergency department. I am not sure that the emergency department is the best place for a lot of people who are experiencing mental health difficulties.
Canberra Health Services—staff safety
MR WALL: My question is to the Minister for Health. Minister, how many assaults on nurses or other front-line health staff occurred during the 2018-19 financial year?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I will take that question on notice. I thank Mr Wall for the question.
MR WALL: I will expand this given that I presume it will be taken on notice. Minister, which areas of Canberra Health Services had the highest level of assaults on nurses and other front-line health staff? And if you are taking it on notice, could you provide a breakdown of assaults by area?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I will take the detail of the question on notice, but I understand that this is a matter that has been discussed many times before in this place. Obviously, nurses in the mental health area have experienced assaults in probably more significant numbers on a per capita basis than in other areas. There are probably other areas that are more likely, including in the emergency department, but I will take that on notice in relation to the specific statistics around that.
Municipal services—crematorium facilities
MR GUPTA: My question is to the Minister for City Services.
Ms Cheyne: What happened to your supp? Too late!
Mr Wall: Were you going to ask a supp?
Ms Cheyne: Too late!
Mrs Dunne: Sorry.
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