Minister Barr: Budget: $1.6 billion investment In health services

The 2016-17 ACT Budget invests a record $1.6 billion to provide more doctors, more nurses and better health services for Canberra. The record investment in better health services for Canberra is almost one third of the entire ACT Budget.

This Budget includes $139 million for more nurses, more doctors and more allied health professionals as part of $237 million in new funding for better health services for Canberra.

This Budget will see a further investment of $50 million over four years for better mental health services. This includes 60 new health staff for the Secure Mental Health Unit which will open later this year.

Construction is also underway on the $212 million University of Canberra Public Hospital, which will be Canberra’s third public hospital and provide better access to high-quality healthcare.

More doctors, nurses and health professionals for Canberra

This Budget delivers $139 million for more nurses and doctors, with 170 new health staff over four years, including 22 more doctors, 91 more nurses and 34 more allied health professionals.

This includes:

• $29 million to fund 54 new health staff for the expanded Canberra Hospital Emergency Department;
• $5.3 million to expand the Trauma Service at the Canberra Hospital to provide better care for trauma patients with seven new doctors and nurses;
• $5.3 million to deliver two additional special care nursery beds and eight new health staff at the Centenary Hospital for women and children;
• $5 million for better acute stroke services and access to treatment in the ACT with four new health staff;
• $4.6 million for one additional intensive care unit bed at the Canberra Hospital and nine new health staff;
• $4.2 million to improve access to a number of outpatient services, including neurology, cardiology, respiratory and sleep services with 10 new staff;
• $2.1 million to expand palliative care services by providing an additional paediatric palliative care nurse to address the needs of children and young adolescents;
• $2 million for an additional emergency department specialist physician at Calvary Hospital;
• $1.3 million to provide deep brain stimulation treatment for people with Parkinson’s disease; and
• $1.3 million for an extra 300 endoscopic procedures each year. This expansion will help meet a growing demand for services and help reduce elective surgery waiting times.

New and improved health facilities for Canberra

More than $111 million will be invested over four years to build better health infrastructure and provide more health services for Canberra.

This funding comes on top of the ACT Government’s investment of $212 million for Canberra’s newest public hospital at the University of Canberra.

The funding in the 2016-17 ACT Budget will be allocated as follows:

• $100.5 million to upgrade and maintain facilities at Canberra Hospital, Calvary Hospital and other health buildings to ensure they continue to meet the future health needs of our community;
• $7.3 million to establish a new clinical genomic service to develop personalised medicine for patients;
• $2.4 million to build accommodation to support people with mental health issues and help them recover in the community;
• $1 million to plan for and improve health information communication technology; and
• $360,000 to investigate options for a new city health centre.

Investing in better mental health services for Canberra

Mental health will receive a major $50 million boost in new funding over the next four years to provide Canberrans with better and more tailored services.

The investment will include:

• $43.4 million for 60 new health staff at the Secure Mental Health Unit to open later this year;
• $3 million to establish a Young People's Mental Health Treatment Team for young Canberrans experiencing, or at high risk of developing, serious mental illness;
• $2.7 million for two new beds and four new staff to expand the Adult Mental Health Unit, increasing the number of beds available from 35 to 37; and
• $1 million to boost services provided in the non-government sector for community mental health services and suicide prevention.

Delivering health services to the most vulnerable

This Budget provides over $11 million in new funding over four years to improve the health services provided to our most vulnerable Canberrans.This includes:

• $6 million in additional funding to support drug services to minimise the harm caused by drug use in our community;
• $1.3 million to expand existing outreach health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the ACT and surrounding areas; and
• $1.3 million to improve access to sexual health services and blood borne virus vaccination, testing and treatment for vulnerable communities.