ACT Health achievements in 2018


Released 28/11/2018

This year has been a big year for ACT Health and Canberra Health Services. We have delivered on many commitments to provide better healthcare to Canberrans, and made significant governance, leadership and structural changes to future-proof ACT Health and Canberra Health Services so they can continue to lead our health system and improve health services for our community.

The Canberra Liberals’ attempt to denigrate our public health system and the thousands of people who work in it should be seen for what it is – more reckless and negative politics from the Canberra Liberals.

“If the Canberra Liberals bothered to look at what ACT Health and Canberra Health Services have achieved this year, they might be a little embarrassed by their continued negativity today,” said Minister for Health and Wellbeing Meegan Fitzharris.

“Not only did ACT Health and Canberra Health Services achieve accreditation for the maximum three-year period, but we opened a new public hospital, a new Walk-in Centre in Gungahlin, completely refurbished the Calvary Public Hospital Maternity Ward and announced a major expansion of Clare Holland House.

“We have significantly progressed the delivery of truly territory-wide health service planning, including progressing a new future focussed agreement with Calvary Public Hospital.

“We established Australia’s first pill testing trial, funded Meningococcal ACWY vaccinations for teens, rolled out grants to encourage more GPs to bulk bill, funded the Neuromoves program and StrokeConnect and delivered on our commitment to fund a new building for Winnunga Nimmityjah.

“We saw a record 13,340 elective surgeries completed last financial year, completed our System-Wide Data Review, established an Independent Review into Workplace Culture, and committed to making abortions more accessible for Canberra women.

“At Canberra Hospital we renovated one of the wards specifically for elderly patients, we established a homebirth trial, and to date we have delivered 12 publically funded bariatric surgeries through our program across the territory.

“Last financial year, 5,187 babies were born in our public hospitals, our emergency departments saw 147,778 presentations and 41,544 people visited one of our three Walk-in Centres.

“As Minister for Medical and Health Research I have had the honour of working with our higher education and research sectors to further establish Canberra as the Knowledge Capital and a leading city for cutting-edge research in this sector.

“We signed an MoU with the ANU and Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute to create a collaborative research centre in Canberra to benefit patients, clinical researchers and the cancer research community world-wide. We held an ACT Health Summit earlier this month, bringing together leaders in the health and tertiary education sectors to agree on a clear path for working together on shared priorities for teaching and training. And earlier this year, the ACT partnered with the Garvan Institute to take part in the Molecular Screening and Therapeutics clinical trials, to provide better treatment for patients with rare cancers.

“When it comes to our staff, we are supporting them by encouraging a culture of reporting, and ensuring staff are supported when it comes to issues such as occupational violence and workplace bullying. We are working with the ANMF to develop a ratios framework, developing a Nurse Safety Strategy and our new Canberra Health Services CEO has made addressing the issue of occupational violence a high priority; establishing and chairing a working group to develop strategies to address occupational violence in all its forms.

“These are just some of the achievements we have seen in Health this year, and I’d like to thank our staff within ACT Health and Canberra Health Services for their professionalism and the duty of care they show to our community every day of the year.

“I acknowledge there has been a lot of change this year, with the separation of ACT Health and a number of major reforms. But this will help set our health system up for many years to come as our city grows and matures.

“While ACT Labor is committed to delivering better healthcare where and when people need it, the Canberra Liberals seem to be incapable of understanding the complexities of our health system.

“We know Liberal Governments like to cut health services. They like to privatise health services and cut jobs. The Canberra Liberals in government would be no different.

“Two years in and the Canberra Liberals have yet to release one single policy about how they would change our health system. It has been endless politics and negativity. I trust Canberrans will see through this,” said Minister Fitzharris.

- Statement ends -

Meegan Fitzharris, MLA | Media Releases

Media Contacts

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Claire Johnston

(02) 6205 0022

0452 597 459

clairev.johnston@act.gov.au


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