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- 4 April 2006
Menai Electorate Health and Education Services
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Ms ALISON MEGARRITY (Menai—Parliamentary Secretary) [5.47 p.m.]: A review of the census data conducted by the Parliamentary Library ranked the various electorates in this place according to different criteria. The Menai electorate showed a very high proportion of families with young children. It is not surprising, therefore, that health and education services are important priorities for my constituents. As the local member, and as someone with a young family, these priorities are also very important to me. I have previously raised in this place the Government's significant investment in health care facilities in my electorate. On the most recent occasion I briefly advised the House about the recent opening of a $32 million mental health centre at Liverpool Hospital. The hospital also has a stroke unit and upgraded cardiac catheter laboratory. There has also been a $9.1 million expansion of the emergency department.
All honourable members are aware of the pressures on staff working in the emergency departments of our State's hospitals. Ambulances arrive at the side or back door, and at the same time patients requiring medical assistance walk through the front door. It has been well documented that people present at emergency departments citing a range of health conditions and complaints. It is a fact that many of these cases could be effectively treated by general practitioners [GPs]. In February 2004 former Premier Carr committed an initial $2 million to the start of after-hours GP clinics in or near 45 public hospitals, including Liverpool Hospital, to treat patients with non-urgent conditions.
The former Premier said that it was time for the Howard Government to come on board and to work with the State Government on rolling out the program after a successful trial in the Hunter region. In the lead-up to the October 2004 Federal election the Howard Government promised $50,000 towards the establishment of an after-hours bulk billing GP clinic at Liverpool Hospital. The Federal Government also promised to consider more substantial funding submissions for the establishment of these after-hours clinics. Certainly the Liverpool general practitioners submitted an application to run a clinic that was similar to one already operating at Campbelltown Hospital, taking the emergency and accident cases that do not need the more intensive critical care services of an emergency department.
The Liverpool Division of General Practice, which is an association of local GPs, wanted to put its clinic in the outpatients section of Liverpool Hospital so that the emergency department is nearby if ever there is a major problem. However, the division is understandably reluctant to sign an agreement with the Federal Government until all the funds promised almost two years ago have been released. It would be like signing a contract to buy a house without having all the mortgage funds at one's disposal. The State Department of Health has been pressing the Federal Government to release the funding.
Awash with the massive budget surplus, the Federal Government is certainly not short of a few dollars. Apart from it being a matter of principle that the Federal Government promised the funding, and it is well past the time that it should deliver on that promise, the State Government is ready and willing to provide facilities for the new service. These clinics make great sense. Hardworking local GPs can rest easy knowing that their colleagues are covering these after-hour periods, and hospital emergency departments can get on with treating more urgent cases and thus reduce waiting times. On behalf of local families needing emergency treatment as well as those requiring an after-hours GP service for non-urgent conditions, I call on the Federal Government to deliver on its promise and show us the money.
Earlier I referred to education services being a priority in my electorate. That priority extends to the preschool education of the children in our community. I have made a number of strong representations on this issue and I acknowledge that the State Government's commitment to a strong children's services sector based on standards, choice and quality is shown by its investment of more than $900 million in children's services since 1995. This financial year the New South Wales Department of Community Services investment is a record $101.7 million, which includes $93.5 million for preschools and long day-care centres. However, I draw the attention of the House to a statement made by Neil Shepherd, the Director-General of the Department of Community Services, in a letter to me dated 25 January 2006, in which he said:
The New South Wales Government is aware that services are nevertheless facing considerable cost pressures, and in recognition of this, the Minister for Community Services and the Minister for Education and Training have asked their respective Departments to work together to assess and present options for improving and supporting preschool services in NSW. This work is being progressed as a major priority.
I will continue to advocate strongly on behalf of my constituents for well-funded and comprehensive preschool programs. I believe that they are a great investment in our children's future, one that will benefit not only our school system but also our community as a whole. I urge the progression of this issue as a major priority, as mentioned by the director-general, and I look forward to the outcome.
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