Page 32 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 7 April 1992
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
MS FOLLETT: Mr De Domenico has again asked me - as did Mr Kaine - to pre-empt what might be in the budget. Well, I am not going to. You can each get up in turn and ask me to do the same thing; I am not going to do it. I have made it clear that the budget process will be conducted in consultation, along social justice principles. We will put the ACT's finances into the best possible position, a sound position, and a position that I believe is reflected in the independent assessment that I have just advised you of.
Ambulance Service
MR MOORE: My question is for the Minister for Health. Mr Berry, as spokesman on health in opposition you, on many occasions, raised the issue of the Ambulance Service and assured the community that when you became Minister all problems would be resolved. Are you aware that only a couple of weeks ago a situation arose outside the Ainslie Primary School, to where an ambulance was called to a pregnant woman who had broken her leg? When the ambulance arrived it had a single officer. Eventually, after the leg was appropriately taken care of, the driver had to call on the fire service to provide a driver to take the ambulance to hospital. The delays because of this, of course, were significant, and in a more serious emergency they would have caused even more difficulties. When are you going to deliver an ambulance service to the ACT that provides an adequate service?
MR BERRY: Mr Moore, we already deliver an ambulance service to the ACT which provides an adequate service. If you understood anything about the delivery of emergency services, you may have taken a little bit more trouble to inquire into the circumstances that prevailed on that occasion. My understanding of it, if we are talking about the same incident - - -
Mr Moore: We may well be, or we may well not be.
MR BERRY: I am quite prepared to check more closely on the information that you have. My recollection of a very similar event was that an ambulance was on its way to the workshop for repairs and a call went out for help. Other ambulances were otherwise engaged and the ambulance officer in the unit that was on its way for some sort of repair responded, quite appropriately, and arrived on the scene in pretty quick time.
It is commonplace for the Ambulance Service to rely on other services when they are able to provide that sort of assistance. As the Ainslie Fire Station is not that far away, it is quite commonplace for the Ambulance Service to rely on the fire service or the police force for a driver on occasions when they are strapped doing other work. Mr Moore and other members would understand that you could provide a large number of ambulances in the ACT but there is a point where accidents and incidents would involve all of the units in emergency work. At times there will be delays, but incidents are prioritised by the controllers.
My understanding is that that incident was dealt with. Whilst it would have been better if there had been a unit available with two officers, there was a unit available with one, and it responded immediately and appropriate treatment was provided.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .