The ACT Government has announced it will inject $43.6 million into frontline health services as part of the Budget’s $200 million health investment.
“Canberra’s growing population will see more [specialist] appointments become available, more elective surgeries undertaken, and new services delivered … ensuring Canberrans can receive the healthcare they need when they need it,” ACT health minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said.
The Canberra Liberals were unconvinced. “This government continues to make flashy announcements each budget, yet the delivery of these promises usually falls short of what is announced,” Leanne Castley MLA, Shadow Minister for Health, said.
Paediatric services at Canberra Hospital
More than $15.8 million will be invested into paediatric services at Canberra Hospital.
A new Paediatric Hospital in the Home program will ensure Canberra children can be safely cared for at home when they need acute care but need not be in hospital, Ms Stephen-Smith said. This program will also strengthen the role of GPs in shared care arrangements, supporting care closer to home for children and young people.
“The establishment of the Paediatric Hospital in the Home program will mean children and young people who are acutely unwell can spend more time at home while still receiving high quality care from Canberra Hospital’s specialist paediatric team,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
The funding will also help upskill paediatric and emergency department staff in preparation for the opening of the Critical Services Building next year. Processes within the department will be improved to better co-ordinate patient and family centred care, Ms Stephen-Smith said.
The Government will establish a new dedicated Paediatric Gender Service to deliver age-appropriate gender care for children and young people up to 15 years of age who are gender diverse or experiencing gender concerns. The government heard through the LGBTIQ+ Scoping Study and from stakeholders that there was a lack of specialist interdisciplinary gender-focused public healthcare services for the growing number of trans and gender diverse children and young people (TGDCYP) in the ACT and surrounding region.
The paediatric weight management program will expand to reduce waitlists and waiting times and increase quality of life for young people.
“The investments in paediatric services respond to evidence from past reviews and reflect early feedback from the Child and Adolescent Clinical Services Expert Panel, providing a strong platform to respond to the Panel’s final report later this year,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
Ms Castley was dubious. “The government have failed to complete a number of recommendations from a scathing report into paediatric services, [and] staff feel overworked and underappreciated, yet the government through its press release seem to think that $15.8 million will fix these significant issues.”
North Canberra Hospital
The government has allocated $14.3 million to North Canberra Hospital – as Calvary Public Hospital Bruce will be known after the ACT Government’s takeover on 3 July. The government claims the budget funding will boost resourcing for the hospital, with more allied health and weekend support to better co-ordinate care in the Emergency Department, and support four more inpatient beds.
“We will continue to invest in capacity at the North Canberra Hospital as we plan for the new modern facility, and I look forward to working with clinical leaders to ensure they can keep delivering quality health care for the growing northside population,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
More outpatient appointments and elective surgeries
The government will spend $6.75 million over the next four years to deliver 2,500 more specialist medical and paediatric outpatient appointments each year for the next two years, growing to 5,000 additional appointments a year from 2025-26.
Canberra Health Services will sustainably grow outpatient capacity, including increasing the proportion of new appointments and recruiting more specialists, Ms Stephen-Smith said.
“Outpatient wait times have been neglected by this government throughout the pandemic, and given the recent Auditor-General report on the last outpatient initiative, I wonder if the government will deliver more than 43 per cent this time.”
Ms Castley referred to Operation Reboot, the ACT Government’s plan to provide 14,000 specialist outpatient appointments, which met only 43.8 per cent of its target.
An additional $6.7 million, Ms Stephen-Smith said, will address the impact of the pandemic and Calvary theatre fire on elective surgeries over the last two years, in line with the Government’s commitment to deliver 60,000 elective surgeries over four years.
Elective surgeries were postponed last year because of the pandemic. Nevertheless, the ACT achieved its second highest year ever for elective surgeries, according to an AIHW report published in early December, achieving more than 14,000 of its 14,800 target. Canberra Hospital delivered 98 per cent of its overall elective surgery target; the Private Provider Program achieved 101 per cent of its overall elective surgery; and Calvary Public Hospital Bruce achieved 90 per cent of its overall elective surgery despite COVID-19 and Territory directions that non-urgent elective surgeries be temporarily ceased there.
- ACT mixed results for ED waiting times and elective surgeries (7 December 2022)
However, the Liberals state that thousands of elective surgery patients wait years to see specialists or for surgery.
The Canberra Liberals remained sceptical.
“We know that for the past 3 years Canberra Health Services have fallen short of their elective surgery targets and are not on track to uphold their election commitment,” Ms Castley said. “With the implementation of the Digital Health Record, it seems unlikely that the government will keep this promise, despite the money allocated.”
