ABC News is abuzz with talk of a third hospital to be built in Canberra.
ABC News Online reports that:
* Katy Gallagher has proposed a third hospital to provide more elective surgery and cater for our ageing population.
* Dr Foote from AMA has questioned the proposal, suggesting that we could use our existing operating theatres more efficiently, especially with the shortage of nurses to staff a third hospital.
* Russell McGowan from ACT Healthcare Consumers Association is also unconvinced, as we could be doing a better deal to share facilities with Queanbeyan Hospital, or provide more day-surgery and outpatient services instead.
Katy Gallagher has put out a media release about the high rates of elective surgery happening in the ACT. Apparently it’s a good thing that we’re getting so many surgeries done.
I wonder if Mr McGowan has a point in that we might see less demand on acute hospital services if we had more services that can treat injuries/illness before they get bad enough to warrant a stay in hospital?
There was a Health subcommittee in 2004 that recommended a second midwifery birthing centre in Canberra – which has never happened. We have one of the lowest levels of bulk-billing and fewest GPs for population in Australia. I wonder how a third hospital would meet these community needs?
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