Canberra Liberals MLA Leanne Castley, Shadow Minister for Health, will today call on Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith to provide up to date figures for Emergency Department and Outpatient wait times following the release of two “scathing” documents over the Assembly break.

The Productivity Commissions Report on Government Services found that only 48 per cent of patients were seen within clinically recommended timeframes in the ACT, while the national average was 67 per cent. 

FOI documents showed that more than 23,000 patients were overdue for their outpatient appointment in March 2022.

• ACT has longest ED waiting times in country: ROGS (6 February)
• Liberals concerned by long outpatient wait times (20 January)

Ms Castley said it was outrageous that Canberrans were forced to wait some of the longest times in the country to access crucial public health services.

“The data shows that patients who are triaged as category one patients, who should be seen within 30 days, are waiting an average of 152 days,” Ms Castley said.

Canberra Health Services also confirmed that there was no specific target to reduce the percentage of patients who were overdue for their outpatient appointment, Ms Castley remarked.

“The brief to the Minister confirmed that reducing outpatient waiting times was not a priority in 2021/22,” Ms Castley said.

“The Health Minister can’t provide up to date figures for outpatient appointment and ED wait times because of more bungling with implementation of the Digital Health Record.

“It is unacceptable that the Minister can’t provide outpatient wait times because the data has to be pulled manually through the new $145 million Digital Health Record system.”

Ms Stephen-Smith also confirmed that real-time ED wait times are not being displayed on Canberra Health Services’ website following introduction of its Digital Health Record, Ms Castley remarked.

“Canberrans are in the dark about which emergency department has the shortest wait times to get the treatment they need,” Ms Castley said.

“My motion calls on the government to be accountable and prioritise outpatients, some of which have been waiting years to receive their appointment.

“The Barr-Rattenbury government have failed to meet their own emergency department and elective surgery targets each year for this term of government.

“Unfortunately, Canberrans who need these services are facing the consequences of th Government’s failures,” Ms Castley concluded.