Released 19/03/2018
The 2016-17 ACT Health Annual Report highlights the significant achievements of the health workforce in keeping the Canberra community healthy.
In highlighting the achievements as part of ACT Health’s Annual Report Hearing today, the Minister for Health and Wellbeing Meegan Fitzharris, said she was proud of the high quality health system we have in the ACT.
“As Minister, my focus is on keeping Canberrans healthy and well,” Minister Fitzharris said.
“We must continue to work towards helping people with chronic disease live better lives, as well as preventing people from developing chronic conditions.
“I look forward to working with ACT Health staff and our partners across health services and the community in the year ahead.”
Some of the notable achievements for ACT Health for the 2016-17 reporting period include:
- the expansion of Canberra Hospital’s Emergency Department (ED) – completion of construction in December 2016 with the final nine new beds opening in July of this year;
- record levels of elective surgery – with 12,826 operations performed, exceeding the target of 12,500;
- improved performance in the ED – the number of patients attending an ACT public hospital ED who were treated and admitted or released within four hours or less has improved over the last 5 years;
- commencement of regulation on personal vaporisers, also known as electronic cigarettes, applying the same restrictions as those that currently apply to tobacco products;
- completion of the upgrade of the Helipad at Canberra Hospital in January 2017;
- the establishment of a Medicinal Cannabis Scheme in the ACT, including the formation of two expert committees to provide high level advice for the Scheme ;
- the progress on construction of the new sub-acute hospital at the University of Canberra in Canberra’s North, which will give Canberra a dedicated rehabilitation hospital while providing a world-class training facility for our future health workforce; and
the introduction of smoke-free public playgrounds and play spaces in the ACT to ensure our playgrounds and play spaces are vibrant, healthy places for families. In October the Government also extended smoke-free areas to our public transport areas, meaning smoking is banned at bus stops, interchanges and taxi ranks.
Minister Fitzharris said 2017-18 will also see many more activities being progressed.
“ACT Health’s focus will be on the operational commissioning of the University of Canberra Public Hospital (UCPH); planning works will begin for the expansion of the Hospital in the Home program; and we will also deliver a new nurse-led Walk-in-Centre for the Gungahlin community,” Minister Fitzharris said.
“Significant infrastructure programs announced in the Budget will also be progressed. As will other projects that will continue to inform the strategic direction for healthcare delivery going forward, such as the Territory-wide Health Services Planning, the Preventive Health Strategy, the Quality Strategy and the System-wide Data Review,” Minister Fitzharris said.
- Statement ends -
Meegan Fitzharris, MLA | Media Releases
Media Contacts
| Name | Phone | Mobile | |
|---|---|---|---|
Mark Paviour |
02 6205 2775 |
0466 521 634 |