Page 846 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 13 March 1991
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Hospital Beds
MRS NOLAN: Mr Speaker, my question is also to Mr Humphries in his capacity as Minister for Health. Mr Humphries, are you aware that this morning on ABC radio claims were made that no beds were available in Canberra public hospitals at the weekend? Was, in fact, this the case?
MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, no, it certainly was not the case, and I think it is most unfortunate that people make misrepresentations like that about the health system and apparently they get wide credence because of the circumstances in which they are made. I do recall a number of callers this morning, including one caller who sounded remarkably like the staff member of a member of this Assembly, but I do not know who that could be.
Mr Collaery: Was that the first caller, Sue?
MR HUMPHRIES: Yes, Sue, that is right; that is her name. I cannot recall just where I have heard that voice before, Mr Speaker, but certainly a concerned citizen called Sue obviously works in this building.
Mr Speaker, at Royal Canberra Hospital South, the situation on Saturday was that nine medical beds and 19 surgical beds were available, making a total of 28 beds. On Sunday, seven medical beds and 20 surgical beds were available, making a total of 27. At Royal Canberra Hospital North on Saturday, a total of 14 beds were available. There was only one bed available on Sunday, but certainly there were beds available at the other hospital for the rest of that weekend in fairly ample supply.
Claims that no beds were available across the ACT are therefore totally wrong, and, in fact, create quite unnecessary apprehension for people in the ACT. I would urge people who care to join the general hubbub and make accusations like that to check their facts very carefully. It is not just the Government's reputation that they succeed in damaging with those sorts of claims; it is, of course, the efficiency and the effectiveness of our hospitals themselves.
Hospital Waiting Lists
MR BERRY: My question, too, is to the Minister for Health, Education and the Arts, Mr Humphries. Noting the massive blow-out in the hospitals budget, will the Minister give an assurance that waiting lists will not increase above their already excessive levels?
MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, first of all, I dispute Mr Berry's claim that there is a massive blow-out. Mr Berry keeps repeating over and over again wild and outlandish figures. He keeps asserting that there is a figure of - - -
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