Expanding Hospital Services in the ACT - ACT Government discussion paper

The ACT Government has released a discussion paper on five options for enhancing hospital services in Canberra.  Each option would deliver an extra 400 beds and range in cost from about $690m to $795 million.  We are pleased to see that the HCCA proposal to include a sub-acute facility has been costed and included as an option (Option E).  Another option (B) is to consolidate services in a 'super hospital' at Woden but the Minister went on the record in early February saying that this is an unlikely option.

The discussion paper is a good start to the conversation and we encourage people to read the paper. This is available in the Community Consultation section of the ACT Health website. 

HCCA is interested to find out more about the type of beds that are being proposed.   We spoke with the ABC this week about this.  A story is available on the ABC website.

A six week consultation period will run from 25 February 2011 – 14 April 2011.  Community consultation fora will be announced soon.
 
This has been a long running issue.  The ACT Legislative Assembly referred to the Standing Committee on Health, Community and Social Services for inquiry and report the proposed four new options for future ownership and management arrangements of Calvary Public Hospital, put forward by the Minister for Health on 19 August 2010.  HCCA appeared before the Committee and made a submission (350 kb Pdf).  The Standing Committee will report to the the Legislative Assembly at the end of March.
 
HCCA is currently considering the discussion paper and will prepare a comprehensive response.  We are interested to hear your views.

A third hospital for Canberra?

Negotiations are underway between the ACT Government and the Little Company of Mary on the sale of the hospital infrastructure at the Bruce campus.

Today the Chief Minister spoke about the possibility of buidling a new hostpial if the negotations with LCM fall through.

But is a third hospital in the best  interests of consumers?  


We want access to safe, quality and appropriate services but are not convinced that a third hospital will provide that to our community.

We are concerned that building a third hospital and cost of maintaining three hospitals will have a negative impact on money available to community based services. There are not enough health dollars to service the current demand.  


The Government has a large program of works on infrastructure and redesigning health services underway based on moving many services to the community.  We support the move to community based health services.

We call upon the government to commit to a focus on primary health care. We are concerned that having three public hospitals in Canberra will not get us closer to achieving that.

We are supportive of the new nurse led walk in centre that is opening in May.  We are also very supportive of enhanced community health centres such as the new centres planned for Belconnen, Gungahlin and Tuggeranong.  We would hate to see funds diverted from community based services to pay for a third hospital.

The Canberra Hospital Car Parking - Shuttle Bus part of the solution

Over the next 10 years the Canberra Hospital campus will be a building site as health services are upgraded and buildings refurbished.  The building work has begun with fences obstructing paths and roads.  Car parking will be difficult over the coming 12 months as the large multi-storey car park is being constructed.

Information is the key to a successful transition period so that TCH campus and building site does not turn into parking chaos for consumers and carers.


The large multi-storey car park was closed last Friday (27 November) and consumers are now required to park in the large open car park adjacent to Hindmarsh Drive.

ACT Health has published a brochure outlining the car parking arrangements.  This is sent to consumers with admission papers and for appointments for outpatients.  This brochure is available on the ACT Health website.

The brochure contains a useful map to show consumers, carers and visitors to TCH where they can park.  This needs to be enlarged and made obvious at various sites around TCH campus.  Currently, oreintation signage is limited.

There are key messages that our community need to know:
Access to TCH will be difficult particularly over the coming 12 months while the car park is being built.  During this time consumers may consider asking a friend or family member to drop them off and pick them up, or using Action buses.
The car parking that is closest to the hospital is limited to 2 hours only.  

We understand that ACT Health has been considering a shuttle bus.  The time is right to introduce this service now to offset the confusion and inconvenience for consumers, and carers. 

A Shuttle bus would overcome many of the issues.  It could operate on a circuit around the hospital grounds for pick ups and drops offs.  It could also operate from Woden Town Centre and the Bus Interchange.
This would pick up and set down passengers every 15 minutes. 

The shuttle bus would benefit a range of uses including; mothers and prams, seniors without disability stickers, visitors and consumers who come to the hospital with a range of needs and physical abilities.  The bus would also improve physical comfort; we don’t want seriously sick consumers their friends and family members struggling to walk from one end of TCH campus in 35 degree temperatures to their cars.

There also needs to be consideration of a transitional lounge where consumers which have been discharged can wait in comfort while their carer, relative or friend collects the car.

It is important that consumers have the support and care of their family and friends while they are in hospital.  Involvement of family and friends is a critical aspect of quality care.  Good signage and information about car parking is an important aspect of this and should not be trivialised.

In the media

Russell McGowan did an interview with The Canberra Times yesterday regarding the availability of GPs. An excerpt from the article, that appears on the front page of today's paper, says:

Health Care Consumers of the ACT president Russell McGowan said yesterday some people were missing out on primary health care as a result of the serious shortage of GPs.

The problem was exacerbated by the bulk-billing rate, which was the lowest in the country.

''There is yet another element and that's to do with affordability,'' he said.

''Some people choose not to go to primary health-care services and they leave it until it becomes more of a crisis and they present at emergency departments.''