No. 22

$12.6 million for acute beds at the Canberra Hospital

“The 2007–08 ACT Budget contains $12.6 million to provide up to 20 additional acute care beds at the Canberra Hospital,” Health Minister Katy Gallagher said today.

Ms Gallagher said at least 10 of these beds would be allocated to orthopaedic services.

“These beds are required to meet increasing demand for acute health services resulting from our ageing population and increases in emergency, trauma and elective surgery,” Ms Gallagher said.  

“This additional funding will help our public health system provide more services to Canberrans and better manage the demand for care.

“The ACT Labor Government has committed funding for up to 147 extra beds in the Territory’s public hospitals during this current term in office,” she said.

Ms Gallagher said this year’s budget builds on investments the ACT Government has made in previous budgets.
“This includes the introduction of discharge lounges to free up acute care beds, funding services that provide for high needs children to be cared for at home rather than in hospital, commissioning the ninth operating theatre at the Canberra Hospital, and funding an additional 20 beds in 2005-06 and a further 20 in 2006-07.
“We have also provided $1.2 million to build Emergency Department capacity. This is providing more doctors, more nurses and improved care for people who present at our Emergency Departments at both TCH and at Calvary Hospital,” Ms Gallagher said.