Ivan Dean, Speeches Index

Tuesday 11 July 2006

ELECTIVE SURGERY

Hospitals and ambulance service

3.2 Medical services -

Mr DEAN - Mr Chairman, during the Estimates there were questions asked and I think I asked a question in relation to a number of surgery patients postponed on more than one occasion. The answer provided is, to say the least, succinct. It was not broken up into some of the detail that I was hoping that I would get. This is an important issue and when you look across this State from the period 1 July 2005 to 31 May 2006, a period of about 10 months, there were some 1 963 patients who had bookings for elective surgery postponed on more than one occasion. That is an alarming number when you look around this State when we are talking about on more than one occasion. I would like to know the numbers that have been postponed on more than two occasions and if it could be broken down further because I have had people identifying to me that they have had bookings postponed on several occasions. So if it could be broken down to the number of occasions so I can see if there are any patterns developing there. Could you also give the reasons for the postponement of these elective surgery cases? I am aware that during the Estimates the minister indicated that of course some of these postponements occur as a result of a patient wanting their case postponed. Could it be broken down to the predominant reasons for it, and that would be one, I suspect. I would appreciate that very much. The other issue I wanted to raise, and I am pretty sure that it comes under medical services, if it does not then I will be corrected, in relation to -

Mr Parkinson - Perhaps you could have that information later as it is not available right now. Are you happy to have it later?

Mr DEAN - I am happy for that to come in later if it is not available at this moment. The other matter that I wanted to mention was, and I think it was under this section that the minister raised it, the prospect of a move of the faculty of nursing, or a part of it, to the university in Hobart. My questions here are around what consultation has taken place in relation to this. Has the Launceston campus of the university for instance been involved in these discussions? Have the educators been involved in these discussions? Students, local government, the Chamber of Commerce in the Launceston area, have they been involved in all of these discussions surrounding this statement? There was a statement out of the blue, it seemed to me, from the minister. I had heard nothing of it previously and indeed a number of people who I have spoken to through the university in Launceston have indicated that it was a surprise to them as well, so I was just wondering how much consultation has taken place.

We would remember that on that subject the minister indicated that a reason - and obviously there are a number of reasons - was the tragic road deaths that occurred of the four young ladies at Bagdad or thereabouts very recently. Some of those were nurses returning from the Launceston campus. I just want to remind the minister that there have been a number of tragic accidents involving students travelling in the opposite direction after attending Hobart faculties and travelling back to the north and north-west of this State. I thought it was rather an amazing statement, I suppose, for the want of a better word, if that is used as a criteria for bringing a faculty or part of a faculty to Hobart when one could argue very strongly that is a very good reason for some of those faculties having -

Mr Parkinson - I think you will find it is more designed at enhancing the recruitment at the Royal Hobart Hospital.

Mr DEAN - That may well be a reason, Leader, but the minister did refer to that while she was discussing this issue and threw it up as a part of - and that is the only thing that you can take from that statement or that comment - that that was being used for some reason also to bring that faculty -

Mr Parkinson - The accident was probably just fresh in her mind.

Mr DEAN - It may well have been but I just want to remind the minister that there are other examples of tragic accidents happening with students going back the other way.

Mr PARKINSON - We will get the figures on the elective surgery to the honourable member, maybe not this afternoon but they will be provided.

On the matter of providing nursing training in Hobart, my advice confirms that the comment in relation to the accident that the honourable member referred to was just something that was said at the time. It was obviously on her mind. It has no relation to the policy as such. This is all about providing for nurses. The Royal Hobart Hospital has experienced recruitment difficulties. The matter is at a very early stage. There have been discussions between the head of nursing and the university and I emphasise it is preliminary. There is a lot more planning involved. It is all about, as I say, recruiting nurses and as part of the overall plan there is very careful attention being given to not affect services being already provided in Launceston.

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