The ACT’s Chief Minister has warned of a “crisis” at Canberra’s hospitals if the Commonwealth doesn’t provide more money. Chief Minister Andrew Barr painted a picture of essential but non-emergency surgery suffering as COVID continued to dominate the work of the ACT health service, including at Canberra Hospital. “I’m talking about a serious crisis,” Mr Barr said. “There’s an urgent imperative to improve this situation.” The Chief Minister said the money needed by the ACT was in the “tens of millions – the hundreds of millions”, and that he did not foresee a dramatic fall in COVID cases in the near future, even as the vaccination rate approaches 90 per cent of the community. The issue of federal support was raised at the national cabinet meeting with the Prime Minister on Friday but without any resolution. Mr Barr was asked if the Canberra health system could cope if the Commonwealth didn’t help. He replied: “No. We need the money.” His concerns echoed those spelt out in a letter to federal Health Minister Greg Hunt, signed by ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith and her fellow states and territory health ministers. They wrote that a boost in funding was needed because of the “unrelenting strain” on their health systems, in what they assert will be “the most critical phase of the COVID-19 pandemic response for our hospital systems”. In the case of the ACT, Mr Barr is also looking over the border for help. “NSW will also need to chip in,” he said. One-quarter of the patients in Canberra are from across the border, he said, so their treatment needs to be funded, at least partly, by their home state. There were three areas where Mr Barr asserted that money was urgently needed: the hospital and wider health service; the managing of COVID cases in the community; and mental health crisis clinics and help for people with disabilities. As though to highlight the pressures at Canberra Hospital, ACT chief health officer Dr Kerryn Coleman said infections were continuing there, including a new case which came too late to be included in the figures for Friday. Several issues weren’t addressed at the national cabinet partly because NSW was unrepresented, Premier Gladys Berejiklian having resigned earlier that day. As the pandemic lingered, extra money would help care for COVID patients in their own homes, according to Mr Barr, and that would free up beds in hospital for the most seriously ill. It would also make resources available for elective surgery, those essential operations for conditions which may be painful but not immediately life-threatening. They have been put on the backburner while resources, whether equipment, buildings or skilled staff, have been working overtime against COVID. The government said that by the end of this month 95 per cent of eligible Canberrans should be vaccinated. But fully vaccinated people can still contract COVID, though their chances are lower – and there is far less chance of serious illness or death. Mr Barr said that for every extra 1000 people who are fully vaccinated, there are 100 fewer who need to go to hospital, and 10 fewer who need intensive care. He was speaking just after publishing the latest disappointing figures for new COVID cases in the ACT. He was clearly taken aback when he was told there had been 52 cases recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm on Friday, the same record number as the day before. “Initially, my heart went, ‘Oh no. Not again!'” he said. He remained “reasonably confident” that restrictions in the ACT would ease somewhat on October 15. “But we need to look at the next couple of days.” Our coverage of the health and safety aspects of this outbreak of COVID-19 in the ACT and the lockdown is free for anyone to access. However, we depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support. You can also sign up for our newsletters for regular updates. Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
Hospital crisis looms without more money: Barr
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Chief Minister Andrew Barr painted a picture of essential but non-emergency surgery suffering as COVID continued to dominate the work of the ACT health service.
coronavirus, andrew barr, canberra, hospital, funding, covid, coronavirus
2021-10-02T15:49:00+10:00
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The ACT’s Chief Minister has warned of a “crisis” at Canberra’s hospitals if the Commonwealth doesn’t provide more money.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr painted a picture of essential but non-emergency surgery suffering as COVID continued to dominate the work of the ACT health service, including at Canberra Hospital.
“I’m talking about a serious crisis,” Mr Barr said. “There’s an urgent imperative to improve this situation.”
The Chief Minister said the money needed by the ACT was in the “tens of millions – the hundreds of millions”, and that he did not foresee a dramatic fall in COVID cases in the near future, even as the vaccination rate approaches 90 per cent of the community.
The issue of federal support was raised at the national cabinet meeting with the Prime Minister on Friday but without any resolution.
Mr Barr was asked if the Canberra health system could cope if the Commonwealth didn’t help. He replied: “No. We need the money.”
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr at Saturday’s COVID-19 update. Picture: Sitthixay Ditthavong
His concerns echoed those spelt out in a letter to federal Health Minister Greg Hunt, signed by ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith and her fellow states and territory health ministers.
They wrote that a boost in funding was needed because of the “unrelenting strain” on their health systems, in what they assert will be “the most critical phase of the COVID-19 pandemic response for our hospital systems”.
In the case of the ACT, Mr Barr is also looking over the border for help. “NSW will also need to chip in,” he said.
One-quarter of the patients in Canberra are from across the border, he said, so their treatment needs to be funded, at least partly, by their home state.
There were three areas where Mr Barr asserted that money was urgently needed: the hospital and wider health service; the managing of COVID cases in the community; and mental health crisis clinics and help for people with disabilities.
As though to highlight the pressures at Canberra Hospital, ACT chief health officer Dr Kerryn Coleman said infections were continuing there, including a new case which came too late to be included in the figures for Friday.
Several issues weren’t addressed at the national cabinet partly because NSW was unrepresented, Premier Gladys Berejiklian having resigned earlier that day.
As the pandemic lingered, extra money would help care for COVID patients in their own homes, according to Mr Barr, and that would free up beds in hospital for the most seriously ill.
It would also make resources available for elective surgery, those essential operations for conditions which may be painful but not immediately life-threatening. They have been put on the backburner while resources, whether equipment, buildings or skilled staff, have been working overtime against COVID.
The government said that by the end of this month 95 per cent of eligible Canberrans should be vaccinated.
But fully vaccinated people can still contract COVID, though their chances are lower – and there is far less chance of serious illness or death.
Mr Barr said that for every extra 1000 people who are fully vaccinated, there are 100 fewer who need to go to hospital, and 10 fewer who need intensive care.
Initially, my heart went, ‘Oh no. Not again!’
Andrew Barr, on the ACT’s 52 cases recorded on Friday
He was speaking just after publishing the latest disappointing figures for new COVID cases in the ACT.
He was clearly taken aback when he was told there had been 52 cases recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm on Friday, the same record number as the day before.
“Initially, my heart went, ‘Oh no. Not again!'” he said.
He remained “reasonably confident” that restrictions in the ACT would ease somewhat on October 15. “But we need to look at the next couple of days.”
Our coverage of the health and safety aspects of this outbreak of COVID-19 in the ACT and the lockdown is free for anyone to access. However, we depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support. You can also sign up for our newsletters for regular updates.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
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