Page 5466 - Week 15 - Tuesday, 8 December 2009

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performance, the requirement for continuous monitoring of processes for addressing audit findings and information technology controls.

Significant progress has been made in implementing the majority of these recommendations, in light of previous audit outcomes, with the remainder well on the way to being implemented. As such, the government’s response agrees to all 10 recommendations included in the committee’s review. The committee’s review also recommends that I table in the Legislative Assembly the ACT government’s 2009-10 review of the territory’s unfunded superannuation liability.

The outcome of the funding plan review will be considered in the development of the 2010-11 budget and, if there is a variation to superannuation funding arrangements as a result of the review, details will be included in the 2010-11 budget papers and the associated actuary’s report will also be provided to the Assembly.

I commend the paper to the Assembly.

General practice and sustainable primary health care final report—government response

Paper and statement by minister

MS GALLAGHER (Molonglo—Deputy Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Health and Minister for Industrial Relations): For the information of members, I present the following paper:

General Practice and Sustainable Primary Health Care: The Way Forward—Final report—September 2009—Government response.

I ask leave to make a statement in relation to the paper.

Leave granted.

MS GALLAGHER: It gives me great pleasure today to table the government’s response to the ACT GP task force’s final report General practice and sustainable primary health care: the way forward. In September of this year I tabled in the Assembly the GP task force’s final report, which contained 30 recommendations for the ACT government to consider. Some of those proposals included focusing efforts on international recruitment in the next four years; considering ways to incentivise general practice in the ACT with a low-interest or interest-free loan scheme; focusing efforts on promoting the ACT as a unique location to engage in flexible, multifaceted work in government, education and innovative models of service provision; supporting GPs taking parental leave to return to the workforce through help with child are and re-entry programs; creating and publicising opportunities for GPs over 55 years to remain in the workforce; expanding and better supporting the role of nurse practitioners, practice nurses and other assistant positions in general practice and primary healthcare; developing a new model of care, inclusive of team-based models that support existing practices and networks; focusing on reducing red tape through consultation and collaboration with ACT and commonwealth agencies and organisations; developing an e-health platform to underpin the health home scheme as well as support a virtual primary health service; rolling out an in-hours locum service


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