Page 2388 - Week 07 - Thursday, 17 August 2006
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to removing an additional 35 clients from the General Anaesthetic (GA) waiting list to receive treatment.
(4) The mean waiting time for clients on the centralised waiting list has steadily increased over the past 12 months from just under 8 months in July 2005 to 12 months at the end of April 2006. This is due to the increased demand for dental services. The total number of clients on the restorative waiting list in May 2006 totalled 2847; in May 2005 there were 1923 clients.
(5) The Dental Health Program allocated a total of $70,000 for the additional referral of clients to private providers under the restorative and denture schemes YTD this has equated to 42 extra restorative clients and 38 extra denture clients.
(6) The Dental Health Program allocated $163,000 of the $278,000 to internal staffing and has recruited an additional dentist and assistant as a result.
(7) Yes, the waiting list has been reduced proportionally to the amount of funds allocated ($45,000) the funding has allowed on average an additional 35 clients to received general anaesthetic who would not have received treatment if not for the additional funding. The average cost for the provision of general anaesthetic services is $1600 per client.
(8) Yes, it is the intention of the Dental Health Program to allocate these funds to reduce overall waiting lists based on timely access based on need.
Hospitals—elective surgery
(Question No 1114)
Mr Smyth asked the Minister for Health, upon notice, on 10 May 2006:
(1) What proportion of the $2 million allocated in the 2005-06 budget to elective surgery in the 2005-06 financial year has been expended to date;
(2) How many additional surgeries have been provided for this expenditure;
(3) Will the additional 300 elective surgery episodes promised with the expenditure of this funding be achieved in the 2005-06 financial year; if so, when; if not, why not.
(4) Will the forecast $2.05 million allocated for the 2006-07 financial year for elective surgery still be spent for this purpose and is the Government on target to achieve an additional 400 elective surgery episodes in 2006-07;
(5) What initiatives have been implemented as part of the Elective Surgery Reform Program and how have you monitored the success of such initiatives;
(6) Have such initiatives improved the elective surgery process for (a) patients and (b) staff; if so, what improvements have been made; if not, why not, and are you now reviewing those initiatives to ensure improvements are made.
Ms Gallagher: The answer to the member’s question is as follows:
(1) To the end of May 2006 $1.833 million has been expended.
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