Page 3040 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 10 September 1991
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MR BERRY: I am aware that Youth Insearch have made some sort of an application to the Health Promotion Fund; but it is not something that I deal with at first hand, so I am not familiar with the detail. It is dealt with by the Health Promotion Fund Advisory Committee and a list of the recommended grants will come to me for endorsement in due course. It is not my practice to interfere in that. It is better for them to make the recommendations and for me to consider those recommendations when they arrive on the doorstep.
Ambulance Service
MR STEVENSON: My question is to the Health Minister. It concerns a recent case where a Canberra barrister was unable to have an ambulance sent to take his fiancee to hospital for what was later shown to be the serious matter of a blood clot on the brain. Though I understand that this sort of occurrence is rare, would Mr Berry please inform the Assembly what action has been taken or could possibly be taken to lessen the possibility of such a situation happening again?
MR BERRY: The first thing that has to be ensured in the Territory is that there are adequate ambulances to provide a service to those people in need, with a driver and a partner. I am advised that the Ambulance Service, since 7 June, have had four ambulances with staff on deck at all times, and I expect that that will continue unless there are some unforeseen circumstances. So, in that sense there is a better ambulance service now than there once was.
I think that, with some planning, we can ensure that the staffing arrangements for the Ambulance Service and the recruiting arrangements are such that we do not ever find ourselves in the situation that we found ourselves in under the Alliance Government. I have to say that the actions that were taken to increase those staffing levels were as a result of actions by the Alliance Government and the former Minister; but I have to say again that I think I can take some of the credit for that for a brilliant campaign run from opposition.
MR STEVENSON: I have a supplementary question. Perhaps Mr Berry could also comment on the fact of taking the call in the first place. Apparently the person taking the call thought the problem was just a headache. Is there any increased training that can be done in that area?
MR BERRY: I think this issue has been answered, Mr Speaker. I do not think it will do the Assembly much good for me to dwell on it again and again. I am happy to take it up with Mr Stevenson following this sitting.
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