Canberra Health Services half yearly report shows that the government is failing to meet two thirds of its own targets across the output classes of Health and community care, cancer services and subacute and community services. This is a health system in crisis.

The report, tabled in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday provides Canberrans with an update on performance against elective surgery and emergency department wait times for the six months to 31 December 2022.

Shadow Minister for Health Leanne Castley said, “This complacent government continues to make excuses for these atrocious figures, but Canberrans are waking up and are tired of hearing platitudes from this Barr-Rattenbury Government”.

“CHS set a target to see 80 per cent of semi-urgent elective surgery patients within 90 days. However, according to the mid-year report only 44% of these patients are being seen within clinically recommended timeframes.

“Emergency Department wait times for all presentations have further declined to only 46% being seen within clinically appropriate timeframes.

“What is also concerning is that Canberra Health Services is still failing to treat radiotherapy patients within the clinically recommended timeframes.

“Only 58 per cent of palliative patients are receiving their treatment on time compared to a target of 90 per cent.

“Extensive wait times in the ACT mean people are living in pain and rather than fixing the problem the Minister continues to watch the numbers decline every six months.

“Failing two thirds of your own targets halfway through the year is an indictment on this government and proves their priority is not on the health of Canberrans.”

Remarkably, the CHS mid-year report also notes that data was only captured between July and September because of the implementation of the new $145 million Digital Health Record system.

ACT Health’s midyear report shows different numbers for the same indicators. For instance, the ACT Health report shows that only 44 per cent of Emergency Department presentations were seen within clinically recommended timeframes compared to CHS reporting 46 per cent.

“The Minister needs to fix these data issues in DHR immediately to make sure there is transparency in our health system.

“We know that the Minister has not been able to provide updates on important figures because of the implementation of DHR and I am concerned that means that she cannot make evidence-based decisions to improve our health system,” Ms Castley concluded.