Page 2340 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 23 June 2010
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Mr Hanson: There are no other surgeons.
MS GALLAGHER: the Assembly. Mr Speaker, I listened—
MR SPEAKER: Yes, thank you.
MS GALLAGHER: to Mr Hanson in complete silence. They are accusing me of misleading the Assembly on this point, and I have not misled the Assembly at any point on this. I am simply explaining the elective surgery waiting list policy—how it is managed and the process that the surgical bookings unit engages with doctors and with patients to make sure that the lists are in accordance.
Mr Seselja: But do patients get downgraded?
MR SPEAKER: Mr Seselja, come on!
MS GALLAGHER: We will not be supporting the motion by Mr Hanson. I have an amendment, which has been circulated, and I move:
Omit all words after “That this Assembly”, substitute:
“(1) notes that:
(a) the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Australian Hospital Statistics 2008-09 report released on 17 June 2010 shows that elective surgery waiting times in the ACT are the longest in Australia;
(b) the report shows that since the previous report was released in 2009:
(i) the median waiting time for elective surgery in the ACT (days waited at the 50th percentile) has worsened from 72 to 75 days, which is 31 days longer than the national average of 34 days;
(ii) the length of time that the majority of people have been waiting for their elective surgery in the ACT (days waited at the 90th percentile) has worsened from 372 to 378 days, which is 158 days longer than the national average of 220 days; and
(iii) the percentage of people who have waited more than a year for elective surgery in the ACT has worsened from 10.3% to 10.6% which is more than three times the national average of 2.9%;
(c) patients waiting for surgery that should be completed within 60 days (Category 2A) are included in the numbers of people who have been waiting for over a year;
(d) allegations have been made by a patient and by Dr Peter Hughes, President of the VMOA that waiting list data has been manipulated by downgrading the clinical categories of some patients; and
(e) these allegations remain unsubstantiated; and
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