Page 165 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 8 December 2004
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Mr Speaker, the students and teachers of the ACT deserve our special commendation today on these excellent sets of results.
Canberra Hospital—surgery
MRS BURKE: Mr Speaker, my question, through you, is to the Minister for Health, Mr Corbell, and is in relation to the DOSA rate, day of admission surgery. The day of admission surgery rate is generally indicative of surgical efficiency. ACT Health set a target of 90 per cent DOSA in June 2004 to make more beds available. However, the Canberra Hospital achieved a rate of only some 64 per cent for that month. Why did the Canberra Hospital fall so short of meeting its target in June 2004, minister?
MR CORBELL: I thank Mrs Burke for the question. Day of admission surgery rates, or DOSA rates as they are known, relate to when someone is admitted for surgery, in particular the process of trying to ensure that people are admitted on the day of their surgery rather than the night before, in which case they are essentially taking up a bed for no really good reason.
In terms of bed utilisation, it is important that we increase our DOSA rates and it is something that the government is working hard on. It is not an easy process to turn around, but we have seen significant improvement. DOSA rates have gone up significantly since the government first started to address these issues earlier this year.
I do not have the exact figures in front of me, but I can confirm to members that overall there has been an increase in the DOSA rate at the Canberra Hospital of a significant nature since this issue was first raised by the government and ACT Health earlier this year. We will continue to work closely on improving DOSA rates because the more we lift that level, the more beds that frees up to address other issues in the system, in particular people coming through from the emergency department.
DOSA rates are on the up. We would like to see them higher. We will continue to work on them to make sure they are higher. But I can confirm to members that the rates have increased significantly compared to earlier this year.
MRS BURKE: I thank the minister for his response. Minister, you might be able to give us, then, the monthly rate since, say, June 2004.
MR CORBELL: I am happy to take that question on notice, Mr Speaker.
Housing—tenant participation project
MS PORTER: My question is directed to the Minister for Disability, Housing and Community Services. Can the Minister advise the Assembly of recent moves to establish a tenant participation model in the ACT?
MR HARGREAVES: The tenants’ union and Shelter (ACT) were commissioned in February 2004 by the ACT government to undertake a 12-month tenant participation program. Tenants expressed a desire to have more of a say in decision making in issues that directly affected them. Over the past six months around 70 tenants have attended
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