Page 2024 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 7 June 2017

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Just last Friday, I had another email, which said:

I wanted to pass on my thanks for the wonderful customer service I received from—

a particular employee—

in the Medical Records Department at Canberra Hospital. I was trying to track down some 15 year old imaging records … While always conscious of her obligations regarding patient confidentially—

this person—

found the records and at my request sought additional advice to enable the records to be released to my GP.

She was sympathetic, cheerful, friendly, and got a successful outcome—basically everything you want from a customer facing employee, or any employee, really!

In addition, just yesterday I had some wonderful feedback from a couple who needed to visit our emergency department recently, recognising that they rarely needed to visit the ED but that the quality of the facility, the professionalism of the staff and the timely manner in which they cared for and treated this particular person was impressive. They said:

We hear all too often how our public utilities and systems are broken or in need of repair. Our experience last Friday reassured us as to the quality of care on offer at least in the ED at Woden Valley Hospital.

Madam Assistant Speaker, that was literally just from the last five days.

In addition to that, I am pleased to speak specifically to the motion that Ms Cody has brought forward in the Assembly today. As she has said, the health and wellbeing of Canberrans will always be a significant priority for the ACT government and for all Labor governments. We have an incredibly strong track record of delivering quality health care to our community. As the motion acknowledges, and as I spoke about in question time, the government has made a $909 million investment in recent years as well as the additional investment we are making in this budget.

Mrs Dunne is correct in stating that the SPIRE centre will not be operating until the early 2020s, but I note that that is exactly the same time frame, I believe, in which the Canberra Liberals’ addition to the Canberra Hospital would have been operating. And the SPIRE centre goes above and beyond in terms of providing dedicated emergency and elective operating theatres. That is important, because it will allow elective surgeries to proceed without a potential interruption from an emergency surgery.

We made commitments to expanding the Centenary Hospital for Women and


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