Page 3770 - Week 10 - Thursday, 14 September 2017

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c) Regurgitation of methadone is detected by visual observation. It is possible for regurgitation to occur without detection.

Health—influenza
(Question No 358)

Mrs Dunne asked the Minister for Health and Wellbeing, upon notice, on 4 August 2017:

(1) How many cases of flu had been recorded as at 1 August 2017 and how does this compare to the 2016 flu season.

(2) How does the 2017 flu season compare with the flu seasons of (a) 2015, (b) 2014, (c) 2013 and (d) 2012.

(3) How many people have been treated at The Canberra Hospital (TCH) and Calvary Public Hospital for influenza during the 2017 flu season.

(4) What impact has the 2017 influenza season had on bed occupancy rates at TCH.

(5) What impact has the 2017 influenza season had on waiting times at TCH Emergency Department.

(6) Has TCH exceeded its optimum occupancy rate during the 2017 flu season; if so, how often and when did the hospital exceed the optimum occupancy rate.

(7) Did this year’s flu vaccinations cover all of the strains active during this year’s flu season and how many cases of flu were of strains not covered by flu vaccinations.

Ms Fitzharris: The answer to the member’s question is as follows:

1. Between 1 January and 1 August 2017, there were 515 laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza reported to ACT Health. Comparatively, between 1 January and 1 August 2016, a total of 241 laboratory-confirmed influenza cases were reported.

2. Each year there is marked variation in the start, duration, and end of the influenza season, as well as in the total number of influenza cases reported to ACT Health. The total number of laboratory-confirmed influenza cases reported to ACT Health in previous years (1 January to 31 December) are as follows:

3. FluCAN is a national surveillance network that tracks the number of people admitted to participating hospitals with an acute respiratory illness who are later confirmed to have influenza. According to the latest FluCAN report, there was a total number of 121 laboratory-confirmed influenza-related hospital admissions to Canberra Hospital and Calvary Public Hospital between 3 April and 11 August 2017. It is important to note that FluCAN is a surveillance tool used to inform a picture of national trends in influenza admissions, and all surveillance systems may miss some cases of influenza.

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