Page 404 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 2 March 1994
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MADAM SPEAKER: Members, may I just caution you? I am usually amazingly lenient with supplementary questions, but this is a completely new subject. Mr Westende, the first part of your question related to omissions or something to do with the solicitor's advice. Now you have moved into a completely new area. I will allow the Minister to answer it because he did come to his feet, but I just caution you that there are particular standing orders in relation to supplementary questions.
MR BERRY: My understanding is that it is $10,000 for insurance, and we have already overtaken that. There is mention in this advice of some person hours that would be required in the setting up of it, but my advice is that we have already well and truly achieved over and above that which was required as setting-up costs.
Woden Valley and Calvary Hospitals
MS ELLIS: My question is directed to the Deputy Chief Minister in his capacity as Minister for Health. Could the Minister inform the Assembly as to the numbers of complaints and commendations received by Woden Valley and Calvary hospitals?
Mrs Carnell: It is in the activity report that has been tabled in the house.
MR BERRY: I thank Ms Ellis for the question. Mrs Carnell interjects that it is in the activity report, but you would never think so if you were waiting for her to comment on it, because it is good news.
Mr Humphries: A $5m blow-out is good news? I would hate to see what bad news was like.
MR BERRY: The Liberals would not be interested in that. They are never interested in saying something positive about the public hospital system. All they are ever capable of doing is reducing themselves to a rabble whenever they start to get information from me about the good performance in our public hospital system. They do not like it.
In the December quarter there were 37.2 commendations per 1,000 admissions - that is about 3 per cent, which is not a lot - compared with 6.3 complaints per 1,000 admissions, which is minuscule.
Mrs Carnell: Have you ever had a look at your complaint form? Anybody who could fill it in would have to be a genius.
MR BERRY: So 95 or 96 per cent of people who use the hospital system walk away satisfied, it appears. On any assessment, Madam Speaker, the hospital system is doing well. It provides over 400,000 outpatient occasions of service; it provides services to people who are amongst the 50,000 or so who are admitted to the hospital system. Of course, any business of that size which provides that sort of service would receive some complaints; but, when you have a look at the facts, it is a clear demonstration that the hospital system is going well. What Mrs Carnell has set out to do in all of this is to try to give the people of the ACT the impression that it is not going well, that it is in crisis. She regularly says "crisis".
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