The ACT government's decision to acquire the Calvary Public Hospital land, and transition existing Calvary Public Hospital staff and assets to the territory is an important step in delivering the integrated hospital and health services which we need to service the growing population.
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As a minister with responsibilities including mental health, disability, and justice health, I am committed to improving healthcare accessibility and quality for generations to come. An integrated, quality, public health system is a shared commitment for all six Greens members of the Legislative Assembly. Together with service providers and the community, we want to continually provide better healthcare for all Canberrans.
Quality healthcare means having the confidence that you can go to your local hospital for anything from birth, to treatment for accidents and emergencies, to elective procedures, to gynaecology or oncology, or for end of life care. We expect our hospitals to have quality buildings and equipment staffed by professional and caring healthcare workers.
With our city growing, and healthcare needs increasing in complexity, we need a northside hospital that has modern infrastructure, and a workforce supported by a single provider to deliver excellent care.
Calvary Public Hospital Bruce has been a big part of the lives of many Canberrans. My own children were born there, and many of us in the community have been thankful for the dedication and kindness of Calvary's nurses and doctors in times of health crisis.
But some of the buildings date back to the 1970s and need to be replaced, not just refurbished. While the location is accessible to the growing populations of Belconnen, Gungahlin, and the inner north, we need new infrastructure and integrated care.
One of the difficulties we need to overcome in Canberra is the ability to balance healthcare delivery over several sites that meet the needs of the whole of the ACT.
We need to plan for a future where we can ensure that no matter what postcode you live in, you can access essential public healthcare services.
The ideal site for the northside hospital is the existing public hospital in Bruce, in a precinct that includes Calvary private hospital services, specialist treatment rooms, and existing public hospital services provided by Canberra Health Services and other non-government organisations.
It's also not far from the University of Canberra rehabilitation hospital in Bruce, run by Canberra Health Services.
Right now, we have two major hospitals, but they don't provide the same services. Calvary public hospital has a bustling emergency department, but it can't treat the range and complexity of
services currently offered by The Canberra Hospital. The two hospitals can't be directly compared.
We don't have the level of collaboration and integration between Calvary and The Canberra Hospital and University of Canberra Hospital that would be possible with a single provider.
Community delivered services run by Canberra Health Services do not integrate with Calvary public hospital as seamlessly as they should. This is simply an inevitability when we have three hospitals - The Canberra Hospital, Calvary Public Hospital Bruce, and University of Canberra Hospital Bruce - run by two different providers, servicing one city.
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In recognition of this challenge, the ACT government is investing over a billion dollars in the new northside hospital, to be built by 2030. This is the single largest infrastructure investment in the territory's history. The existing Calvary Public Hospital facilities in Bruce were built using taxpayer funds, first by the Commonwealth and later by the ACT government.
In the past five years alone, the ACT government has invested more than $62 million in works at Calvary public hospital. Acquiring the land for the new Northside Hospital will provide the best possible value for money for what will be a major investment in the future of healthcare for the people of Canberra and surrounding NSW.
Even with new buildings, and a new governance structure, some of the most important things won't change. When you walk into the hospital from the day of transition, you will still see the same dedicated, kind, highly skilled healthcare workers. The same staff, in the same teams, delivering the same quality healthcare.
We know that healthcare workers in our community are worthy of the kind of investment this government is making in the northside hospital. They also deserve to have the kind of support and development opportunities that come with being part of a larger single hospital network.
With all the work that Calvary and Canberra Health Services have progressed in partnership on workplace culture improvements over recent years, we know that there is much we can also learn from the team at Calvary. Bringing the two teams together creates opportunities to learn from the best that each has to offer and create something very special for a growing workforce.
The decisions around acquiring land, investing in buildings, and transitioning to a single hospital network provider, were taken after careful consideration and seeking expert advice. I am confident Canberra Health Services can work with the healthcare workforce at Calvary public hospital, ensuring continuity for the whole community.
- Emma Davidson is the ACT Minster for Disability, Mental Health, Veterans and Seniors.
