Page 1311 - Week 04 - Thursday, 8 May 2014
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making sure people use primary healthcare where they can and not deteriorate to the point where public hospital services are the only answer; reducing the impact of chronic diseases, in partnership with the primary healthcare sector; looking at what services we provide, looking at how we provide them, how efficiently they are provided. For example, the rollout of e-health will significantly contribute to savings in processes across the health system nationally.
There is not one single solution to this. I think we do have to have a discussion about, as a community, how much we are prepared to pay for health and for the health system. For example, the recent expansion of elective surgery has been very expensive to both the ACT budget and the commonwealth budget. We are not sure that the commonwealth will continue to fund that partnership come 30 June and they may withdraw between $5 million and $8 million per year that has been coming into the ACT’s elective surgery program. Yes, that has ensured people have got access to operations quicker but it has also driven demand, because as soon as people have their operations and they come off the list, just as many join the list. So there is a supply and demand argument in the health system as well.
It is probably a range right across the board. That is how you manage to slow the growth—not stop it, not cut it but slow the growth.
MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Mr Hanson.
MR HANSON: Minister, is the high cost of TCH comparative to other hospitals across other jurisdictions having an impact on our escalating health costs?
MS GALLAGHER: I do not know why you single out Canberra Hospital, because the costs at Canberra Hospital are the same as at Calvary hospital. We are a high-cost jurisdiction. We are about to undertake—
Opposition member interjecting—
MS GALLAGHER: We are a high-cost jurisdiction. Part of that is our historical arrangements under superannuation, which ensure that our staff are paid anywhere but usually around nine per cent more for super. That is slowly changing with the decisions we have taken as a government, but that is part of the reason. The other reason is that we have historically had to pay much more for visiting medical officers to come and work in Canberra than other jurisdictions because of the size of our jurisdiction. That is starting to change somewhat. But we also offer a whole range of services that a community of 350,000, 380,000 or even 500,000 would not normally receive. There is a whole range of reasons.
Mr Hanson: We get fee for service from New South Wales, don’t we?
MS GALLAGHER: Yes, at New South Wales cost.
Mr Hanson interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Order! No conversation across the chamber. You have asked your question, Mr Hanson.
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