Hospital's lists 'out of control'
Rebecca Lollback
03Jul08
WAITING times at the Alice Springs Hospital are out of control, according to the Territory Opposition.
A Federal Government report on the nation's hospitals was released earlier this week.
It showed the average waiting time in Territory emergency departments was 39 minutes, compared to a national average of 24 minutes.
Fifty-five per cent of patients were seen within the recommended time. The average across Australia was 70 percent.
Expenditure in the 2006/07 financial year was $2223 per person - the highest in Australia.
More than 122,000 people attended accident and emergency departments, or 751 presentations per 1000 people.
This was more than double the average presentations in other states and territories.
Forty per cent of emergency department patients were indigenous people.
Opposition health spokesman Matt Conlan said the report was reflective of the situation in Alice Springs.
He said: ``Alice Springs hospital is the second biggest in the Territory.
``The report says the average waiting time is 39 minutes but from what I've heard, it's more like an hour or two hours.
``This is not a criticism of our health care professionals - they do the best job possible with what they've got. There are a lot of challenges and staff are under a lot of pressure.''
Health Minister Chris Burns said the report showed Territory hospitals were the ``best funded in the country''.
He said: ``The Territory also has more beds per capita than any other jurisdiction - 3.7 beds per 1000 people compared with the national average of 2.6.''
Dr Burns acknowledged that waiting times needed to be addressed.
He said: ``The Territory Government is focused on shortening waiting times in our emergency departments through new measures to bring those wait times down.''
Mr Conlan said it was ``easy for the government to boast about spending money''.
He said: ``But we need to look at the outcomes. Territorians deserve the best possible health care.''
Mr Conlan called on the government to focus on recruiting more medical workers and address ``broader issues of health, education and alcohol-related violence''.
