Page 4572 - Week 12 - Thursday, 15 October 2009
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MR SPEAKER: Ms Porter, a supplementary question?
MS PORTER: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Minister, what are the other indicators that our health system is measured by and how are we performing, including those that are listed in the AMA report?
MS GALLAGHER: There is a range of ways—a raft of ways, to coin a Hanson term, except that I am going to back up my raft with the raft of points that you add under that, not like Mr Hanson today, who had one of those little awkward moments on radio when he is asked a question and he just comes out with the generalisation that he is used to, which is raising all these allegations but never supporting them with any evidence. He comes out and says: “There is a raft of ways you can improve the efficiency, except I don’t have any of them at the moment with me, Ross. I’ll come back to that later because I haven’t had that briefing yet.”
There are a number of ways that the performance of a health system is measured; for example, the utilisation rate.
Mr Smyth interjecting—
MS GALLAGHER: We have one of the highest utilisation rates in the country. People come to our public hospitals.
Mr Smyth interjecting—
MR SPEAKER: Mr Smyth!
MS GALLAGHER: They make a choice to come to our public hospitals. We have the highest private health insurance in the country—
Mr Smyth interjecting—
MS GALLAGHER: and the lowest utilisation rate. What does that say?
Mr Smyth interjecting—
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Smyth!
MS GALLAGHER: People trust their public hospital. They do, Mr Smyth. The stats point to it. In relation to beds, the AMA report card acknowledges that we have replaced the beds that Mr Smyth removed when he was in government.
Opposition members interjecting—
MR SPEAKER: Order, members!
MS GALLAGHER: It also shows significant improvement in bed occupancy rates, Mr Smyth—Mr Speaker—
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