Page 3570 - Week 11 - Thursday, 23 October 2014
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partnership commenced. That has been, of course, with Calvary John James Hospital, a couple of other providers and also at Queanbeyan hospital where they have now performed more than 100 operations under our agreement with Queanbeyan hospital.
I am very happy that these arrangements are working well and look forward to continuing these arrangements as they provide good value for money for ACT taxpayers and ensure that people have their operations quicker.
MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Mr Hanson.
MR HANSON: Minister, what is the tendering process for those public surgeries being conducted in the private system?
MS GALLAGHER: I will check this, but I believe there is an approved panel, so it did go out in a public tender process. People were approved to be on a panel and then, as particular work lists become available, whether they are neurology or ear, nose and throat surgery, they are let to providers on the approved panel. If that is not correct, I will come back and update the Assembly.
Children and young people—disabilities
MR DOSZPOT: My question is to the Minister for Health. Minister, recently families of children with a disability were told that changes will be made to the administration of healthcare needs of students at schools for children with a disability, resulting in learning support assistants doing the work that registered nurses currently do. Would you advise what consultation took place, minister, with the families about these changes and what was their reaction to these changes?
MS GALLAGHER: As Mr Doszpot will be aware, over the last two years we have been undertaking consultations with the Education and Training Directorate, parents and staff with respect to students in a couple of schools across Canberra where the healthcare access at school program works, the HAAS program.
Mr Doszpot: There was only one that didn’t have it, and you promised to—
MS GALLAGHER: That is right. Please let me update the Assembly before you answer your own question. There was extensive consultation with Malkara School, Woden School and Black Mountain School. The new arrangements have been put in place, with the oversight of a registered nurse but with implementation, training and care being provided by LSAs. I understand that in the last week there have been some discussions with parents at Cranleigh School. And from the staff and parents there has been some frank feedback to both the education directorate and the Health directorate about people’s concern with the consultation process and information. They were concerned that they were not involved in the original consultation process around this.
My commitment is that we need to get that right before any changes occur. But I have to say that the feedback from where the changes have been implemented has been very complimentary. So let us not cast too much concern over the program, but there are concerns about the consultation process, and we need to get those right.
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