Page 2341 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 23 June 2010
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(2) calls on the Minister to provide to the Assembly by the final sitting day of this calendar year:
(a) an independent interim review of The Waiting Time and Elective Patient Management Policy that came into effect on 1 January 2008;
(b) a report from the Surgical Services Taskforce on the effectiveness of the current policy;
(c) as part of those reports examine any evidence of “downgrading” of patients not in line with the current policies in place; and
(d) that ACT Health works with the Health Services Commissioner in the development of these reports prior to their tabling in the Assembly.”.
I have to say I am disappointed with the Greens’ approach, but I am not at all concerned with an Auditor-General’s review of this—at all. If there is genuine interest in this, I am offering the Assembly an independent interim review of this policy, done by an external waiting list expert—because it is actually quite a complex area of knowledge—and for the Surgical Services Task Force, which is made up of our most highly regarded surgeons from both hospitals, to provide a report to the Assembly about any concerns they have, any changes they want made or any evidence they have of inappropriate downgrading of patients.
I do not expect that I will get support for that amendment. The Greens have indicated they will not support it. But that would be, I can tell you now, the most useful information, if the Assembly was genuinely interested in the management of the list, rather than a political witch-hunt for my head, which is what this is actually about. If they actually want the information that I could provide for this Assembly, I am offering that in my amendment.
As I said, from the feeling I am getting, that amendment is not going to get up. But that would offer, I think, show clearly and provide some support to those in the surgical booking area and those surgeons who have been besmirched by the allegations by Dr Peter Hughes and by Mr Hanson’s, I guess, rapid eagerness to just accept those allegations as true, because it is the surgical bookings area—
Mr Smyth: He asked you the question.
Mr Hanson: Answer the question.
MS GALLAGHER: I should take you down there, Mr Hanson, so you could face them after what you have said tonight. You have basically alleged that they have put pressure on doctors to change their patients’ category, and in that way you have besmirched the reputation of doctors because you are saying the doctors are acquiescing.
Mr Hanson: Such a tired old tactic from you, isn’t it, Katy: if I question you, I am actually besmirching everybody?
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