Community Alliance Party

Address to the official launch of the Community Alliance Party
Thursday June 12th, 2008
Albert Hall

Taking care of our health

JAMES SIZER
Candidate for Brindabella

Good evening ladies and gentlemen. It is good to see you all here in support of the Community Alliance Party. I hope you are all fit and well.

I say that, because the ACT is confronted by a health care crisis.  An ageing population and technological advancements are increasing our demand for health care services putting a growing strain on our hospitals and resources.

Meanwhile we still have the lowest bulk-billing rates in Australia, made so much worse through a shortage of doctors.  If we don't care for our health system how will it be able to care for us?

Our health system is struggling to keep up with the needs of the community as it is today.  We need to change the way in which health services are managed in the Territory to meet the emerging needs of the community.

It is no secret that we have an ageing population, or that as we age our dependency on health care services increases.But, here in the ACT the percentage of our population aged over 65 will double over the next twenty years. And the percentage of our population aged over 85 will double over the next ten years.

Our health system needs to get ready for this. If we don't care for our health system how will it be able to care for us?

The workforce that provides these essential healthcare services to us is under stress. As the population ages so does our health workforce. We do not have enough new recruits coming in to fill today's gaps let alone the gaps which will be left when our current crop of dedicated professionals reach retirement age, and themselves have a greater need for healthcare services.

Our nurses are not receiving the acknowledgement and appreciation they deserve.  Half of our current nurses are over 45 years of age. Why do we not yet have a system to ensure that when today's nurses retire, there are enough younger nurses to care for them in their golden years?

I am committed to improving the recruitment and retention of the ACT Health workforce ... and to working with the ACT health community to develop and implement the strategies necessary to ensure that we can attract and retain the services of enough qualified professionals to meet the challenges of our ageing population in the ACT.

To build a strong and professional workforce to care for us, we need to care for them through the provision of attractive careers and working conditions.  This will include providing access to further training to ensure career progression within the Territory, encouraging a healthy work/life balance , fair remuneration and recognising their true worth.

If we don't care for our health system today how will it care for us tomorrow?

To reduce the demand on emergency health services; I want a stronger focus on preventative health care strategies, such as:

• regular preventative health checks for our people
• healthy lifestyles promotion, in co-operation with the charitable organisations, who already do such good work in this area
• better health education in our schools and colleges, on such things as diet and exercise or the effects of smoking, alcohol and drugs
• greater access to convalescent care, rehabilitation and physiotherapy services, to reduce recurrence or re-admission.

Recognising technological capabilities in the community, I would seek to expand such services as the “ACT HealthFirst” website to make online doctors available for simple advice, or for referral to the most appropriate service.

To assist in the delivery of these services, an Alliance government will work to help develop local, community-driven health and wellbeing clinics.

Similar to the Winnunga Nimmityja indigenous clinic, in Narrabundah, which recent governments have financially supported ...or the West Belconnen Health Co-operative which requires little more in funding than the current government has just committed to putting a glass enclosure around a café at the Canberra Glassworks, or the cost of just one of the forests in the arboretum, neither of which is likely to save lives.  But after four years the people of West Belconnen are still waiting for government assistance. 

These community healthcare facilities will save the ACT money by helping to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions, allowing our hospitals to focus on acute cases. When the community cares for the health system, the health system will be better able to care for the community.

The demand for mental health services is growing.  The ACT needs to be able to meet that demand.  I want to see the development of a residential acute care facility for younger people, better support and respite services for carers and families, and improved awareness and understanding across the community.

The Community Alliance Party and I are committed to improving the health system to better serve the ACT into the future. When we take better care of our health system, it will take better care of us.

THANK YOU AND TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH