Canberra Hospital partial bypass shows COVID-19 has masked capacity issues

Gone was the familiar sight of beds in the emergency department corridors for weeks on end in the peak of winter, with social distancing meaning there was no flu season to speak of.

Luckily for the Labor government, it meant the management of Canberra Hospital played a relatively minor role in the lead-up to the election.

On Tuesday the hospital was so busy it was forced to divert ambulances to Calvary Hospital after initiating a partial bypass.

Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said it was just another one of the unprecedented events 2020 has thrown our way.

But to characterise it as such is disingenuous.

It's reasonable for Canberrans to expect their major hospital will be able to deal with a bad flu or hayfever season.

It's just daily business.

Out of the ordinary events that no one can truly plan for will inevitably happen.

But while Tuesday may have been exceptionally busy, it wasn't out of the blue.

Presentations at Canberra Hospital have been picking up since lockdown lifted. And, according to medical staff inside the hospital, the past few weeks and months have been busier than ever.

The blame for the capacity issues does not rest with Ms Stephen-Smith. She only took over the portfolio last year.

For that matter it doesn't rest with any single health minister or chief minister.

It's a complex problem caused over many years with no easy fix.

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The ACT is the worst performing jurisdiction for emergency department wait times, and its performance has been trending down over the past decade.

The long term culture problems have created a vicious cycle where the service loses good people due to poor culture and working conditions. It's then difficult to replace them thanks to the years of reputational damage done to the hospital.

What's also clear is upgrades to Canberra Hospital's ageing infrastructure have not kept up with population demand.

The Australian Medical Association says the problem isn't necessarily with the emergency department and its resourcing.

Rather it's blockages that are caused by bed shortages on other wards.

So patients are stuck in the emergency department while waiting for a bed in another part of the hospital.

This creates the bottle neck of patients waiting to be treated in the emergency department.

Often, the system seems more concerned about controlling the narrative and reducing transparency than improving the system.

But it's time for a line to be drawn in the sand. The time for endless bureaucratic reviews and strategies over.

The Labor government must now be held to account for its health failures and make improving the system its focus for the next four years.

And if the Greens, with their increased negotiating power, are serious about making Canberra a more equitable and progressive city, they can't just toe the Labor party line.

The party has used strong and effective advocacy to bring light rail to Canberra and make the territory a leader in renewable energy.

It's time to do the same for Canberra's long-neglected public health system.