Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2020-10-13 Daily Xml

Contents

Cardiac Services

The Hon. C. BONAROS (15:23): Further supplementary: isn't it correct to say that the longer a patient goes without early intervention and treatment, the more likely they are to end up in one of those higher categories?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:23): Indeed, and that's why we are working to bring the waiting times down. We have—

The Hon. C. Bonaros: They've gone up. In The QEH and RAH they've gone up.

The PRESIDENT: Order! I can't hear the minister and the minister needs to direct his answer through me.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Thank you for that reminder, Mr President. This government was the first government to publicly make available the wait times for outpatient clinics because we see the reality of what the honourable member is saying. There is a journey towards care and a delay at the gate, if you like—at the outpatient clinic—is an unacceptable delay which should be minimised. That's why we publicly make available these outpatient waiting time data and that's why we are working to bring them down.