Page 40 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 13 February 2018
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provide to health professionals across the territory, and notably to those within ACT Health as well as, importantly, access to consumers in the broader community.
MRS DUNNE: Minister, how many Canberrans have died while waiting to see a specialist or to have their elective surgery in the last three years?
MS FITZHARRIS: I am tempted to say that that outrageous question should not be dignified with a response and I will—
Mrs Dunne interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Mrs Dunne, please! You have concluded your answer?
MS FITZHARRIS: Yes.
Health—nurse-led walk-in centres
MRS DUNNE: My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. Minister, on 31 January 2018 the Canberra Times reported that you had said that the government’s investment in more nurse-led walk-in centres would “ease pressure on emergency rooms”. Minister, in your answer to question on notice 611 to me you said:
A direct correlation between hospital Emergency … activity and Walk-in Centre … activity is not possible, because the issue is multifactorial.
Minister, how do you know that the walk-in centres will ease pressure on emergency departments when you are unable to measure the correlation between the two?
MS FITZHARRIS: What we do know about walk-in centres is that the opposition spokeswoman thinks they are “a criminal waste of taxpayers’ money”.
Mrs Dunne: I stand by that.
MS FITZHARRIS: I am very pleased to hear that, because this government believes that investment in nurse walk-in centres is important. For 36,000 patients—
Mrs Dunne: At $188 dollars a throw—
MADAM SPEAKER: Mrs Dunne, you asked a question. The minister is providing an answer. Please have respect and hear that in silence.
Mrs Dunne: On a point of order, Madam Speaker, my question was about whether they had the information to tell whether walk-in centres would ease the pressure on emergency departments. The minister has not answered that question or attempted to.
MADAM SPEAKER: The minister has over a minute left, and there was a series of interjections, so the minister has a minute left to answer.
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