Page 363 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 7 March 2006
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talk to the people in the emergency department or the people on the wards about their engagement in the access improvement program. Over 600 ACT Health staff across both public hospital campuses have been engaged in the access improvement program. They have identified how they can do their work more effectively and more efficiently to help reduce blockages in the system and to help reduce access block, to help free up beds when they are needed by simply working smarter.
I am amazed that a party which is always on about better efficiency and better administrative effectiveness is saying, “When it comes to the hospital, it doesn’t matter. Don’t worry about that; don’t worry about working smarter; don’t worry about being more efficient; don’t worry about focusing on work practices to make things work better; just put in 100 beds—which we know won’t work.” Access improvement is all about better work practices to address the problems. I say quite clearly to those opposite that this is having a result. Access block is down in the Canberra Hospital from 45 per cent to 27 per cent. That is a significant reduction. There has been close to a halving in access block in the past 12 months because of the measures this government has put in place. This government is tackling these issues. I will not accept from anyone on that side of the chamber this bald-faced lie that people are dying because the government is doing nothing. It is a lie; it is a horrendous, bald-faced lie; it is an outrageous claim and it is one I will not accept.
Mrs Dunne: Mr Speaker, I wish to raise a point of order. At least five or six times in the past half-minute Mr Corbell said that members of the opposition—and presumably me in particular—had told a lie. I want him to withdraw it.
MR SPEAKER: I do not think he said that at all.
Mrs Dunne: On a number of occasions he said that it was a bald-faced lie. He was referring to what I had said. That is a clear indication that I have told a lie, and I would like it withdrawn.
MR SPEAKER: I do not think he directed that at you, Mrs Dunne.
Mrs Dunne: He did not directly identify me. He did not say, “Mrs Dunne told a bald-faced lie,” but he referred to what I said and stated that it was a bald-faced lie. All you need to do is join the dots.
MR SPEAKER: I will have a look at the Hansard. My reflection on the comments are not the same as yours.
MRS DUNNE: Mr Speaker, I have a supplementary question. Minister, what difference will this third phase—not this third attempt—at providing the answer to access block make to the community? What confidence can the community have that you will solve this serious problem?
MR CORBELL: I thank Mrs Dunne for the question. They can have confidence because results are being seen now. Access block at the Canberra Hospital has gone down from 45 per cent to 25 per cent in the past 12 months. The trend is downwards; the trend is reduced access block. So all the measures the government has put in place—whether they be discharge lounges, additional emergency medicine units in our
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