More funding for elective surgeries, osteoarthritic treatment, endoscopies, beds and maternal care at Calvary Public Hospital Bruce, and community paediatrics are among the ACT Government’s multi-million-dollar investment in critical healthcare in the upcoming Budget, health minister Rachel Stephen-Smith announced today.
“With the continued growth in the ACT’s population, coupled with the impacts of COVID-19, our hospitals and healthcare facilities are experiencing increased demand,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
“Through the Budget we will provide additional investment to deliver more health services in response to these circumstances.”
More elective surgeries
The government has set a target of 60,000 elective surgeries by 2024–25; to achieve them, the government will invest almost $30 million.
This year’s target is 14,800, the same as last year’s. Due to COVID, only 14,000 elective surgeries were performed last year; although 800 fewer than hoped, it is quite likely the second-best result for elective surgeries in a single year, Ms Stephen-Smith said.
Last year’s Delta wave and the Omicron wave at the start of this year delayed elective surgeries (Omicron put 500 non-urgent elective surgeries on hold); while in recent months, there have been 11 fewer elective surgeries per day.
Those reductions have come down, as workforce pressure has eased; there are fewer workforce shortages and unplanned absences than there were a few weeks ago. That, the minister said, was good news both for patients waiting for care, and for the “really stretched” workforce.
“All of that has added up,” Ms Stephen-Smith said. “But when you look at the total amount of work that our hospital and health system has done over the last year … it looks like we have achieved more than 14,000 elective surgeries.
“And in addition, we’ve had a nation-leading vaccination program, we’ve had a massive testing effort, and we’ve had to deal with two significant waves of COVID-19 impacting on both patient availability and staff availability to come and get treatment and deliver treatment.
“Our services have done a really incredible job to achieve at the level that they have.”
Health services will catch up to the target of 14,800 elective surgeries next financial year. Some elective surgeries will be performed in private hospitals to meet the target, while the Digital Health Record is implemented in November, which will slow down activity at Calvary and Canberra Hospital.
As part of the $30 million investment, Good Life with Arthritis, a physiotherapy and allied health program that helps people with osteoarthritis avoid or delay joint replacement, will be expanded.
It is, Ms Stephen-Smith said, one of “a broad range of outpatient services … to keep people well in the community and keep that pressure outside of our hospital system”; “how we can get some of that care out into the community, delivering care closer to home for people to ensure that they don’t need to come on to our busy hospital campuses unless it’s necessary”.
Other measures
The government will spend $5.7 million to boost endoscopy services at Canberra Hospital: 900 more each year over the next two years. A study will investigate how to expand endoscopy services as demand grows.
$17 million will buy more intensive care unit and in-patient beds at Calvary. Demand for services is growing on the northside, and Calvary does a lot of work in planned elective surgery, Ms Stephen-Smith said.
Also at Calvary, there will be a new gestational diabetes service, and the special care nursery will be expanded, as part of the $12.1 million package to reform the maternity system. This will support northside women having babies who currently have to go to Canberra Hospital, Ms Stephen-Smith said.
The community paediatrics team will be expanded ($4.8 million), with a new Neurodevelopment, Behavioural Assessment, and Treatment Service, and more outpatient services for First Nations children.
“Aboriginal children have had to wait for services, and that has an impact on their whole lives,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
Altogether, the funds will procure 39 more full-time equivalent staff in 2022-23, growing to almost 59 full-time equivalent staff in 2023-24.
“A mix of doctors, nurses and midwives, and allied health professionals all coming into our service, to support our consumers and to support our existing frontline staff to deliver more services, for our growing community and the surrounding NSW community,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
Get local, national and world news, plus sport, entertainment, lifestyle, competitions and more delivered straight to your inbox with the Canberra Daily Daily Newsletter. Sign up here.
