Page 2648 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 7 August 2013
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have been the case. I do not believe that the evidence given to the Minister for Health was ignored and misinterpreted. The role of a minister is to look through all of the evidence available at the time and make the best decision possible.
I think that Mr Hanson has taken a selective view of the independent evaluation of the walk-in centre. Overall, the review shows that there have been positive outcomes from the centre.
The Greens certainly support the plans for the construction of new centres at Belconnen and Tuggeranong. It is pleasing to see $9 million for the expansion and enhancement of the Belconnen community health centre, and especially to co-locate a walk-in centre at Belconnen, as well as to open another one in Tuggeranong. We all appreciate the importance of these centres in their role in preventive health care and in reducing emergency department pressure. The walk-in centres will be a great relief for residents on both the north side of Canberra and in Tuggeranong.
I have prepared an amendment, which I have now circulated, which calls on the health minister to table implementation plans for the forthcoming walk-in centres at Tuggeranong and Belconnen, including consultation with key stakeholders. That will provide the Assembly with some additional information and it will be helpful to see what both the timetable and the implementation plans are.
I look forward to seeing the improvement in health services that these new walk-in centres will provide. Some of the comments that Mr Gentlemen made about his experience of talking to constituents about the impact certainly matches the conversations I have had. People find them to be a very convenient service, as well as a real addition to the spectrum of health services in the territory. Their extended hours, beyond those of the average GP, as well as their affordability, make them really valuable, especially for people with children, who often end up with the sort of injuries that can be treated with that level of health care and who do not require an ED type of visit.
When it comes to the paediatric stream at the emergency department, I understand that it is universally accepted in this place that it would be beneficial to have a separate paediatric stream in the ED. At least, that had been my understanding coming into the discussion. I am less clear having listened to the debate now. I do recall that it was an issue that the ALP announced during the 2012 election. The Canberra Liberals supported it the next day, or followed up or replicated it the next day. I also understand that there is $5 million of federal funding available for such a stream, which is a great start to providing that additional service.
The amendment I have prepared calls on the Minister for Health to table ACT Health’s implementation plans regarding the establishment of a paediatric stream in the emergency department. I have framed it in this way after a discussion with the Chief Minister. She reiterated in her comments in this debate the fact that she prepared this idea. Therefore my understanding is that there is not specific advice as such in the way that Mr Hanson was framing it. But the implementation plans will provide the analysis that I believe Mr Hanson is looking for. They will draw out what is being prepared, how it is being rolled out and the like. I think that meets the spirit of what I believe Mr Hanson was asking for in the motion.
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