Shadow Minister for Health Leanne Castley has called out the Health Minister for failing to uphold the election commitment to upgrade and expand endoscopy services at the Canberra Hospital.

“Freedom of Information documents highlight that work to achieve this election commitment has ‘not yet commenced’ despite the public waiting list for endoscopies and colonoscopies being in a parlous state,” Ms Castley said.

“Public waitlists for endoscopies in the ACT have blown out. More than 6,000 patients are overdue for procedures, waiting an average of 399 days across all triage categories.”

The Canberra Liberals will move a motion in the Legislative Assembly today calling on the government to confirm whether their election commitment will be achieved in this term as promised.

The motion will also compel the Labor-Greens Government to immediately contract private endoscopy services to reduce the wait list for public patients.

“In April 2021 gastroenterologists said that there were legitimate solutions for private providers to help reduce the public wait list. However, this was rejected by the government, leaving people languishing.

“My motion calls on the Government to reach out to those private providers and contract them to start reducing the waitlist.

“I have consulted private providers in the ACT who have confirmed that they have capacity and are willing to negotiate with the government to take on some public patients.”

Ms Castley said one patient who contacted her office had been told by gastroenterologists to return within a year, but had waited six and a half years for a follow-up appointment.

“When they finally got a follow up appointment, that same patient had 6 lesions removed which means they had a higher chance of developing cancer in the interim.

“It is distressing to hear these stories, knowing the Barr-Rattenbury Government has not even commenced work on expanding endoscopy services at the Canberra Hospital, particularly when the Government is over budget on spending for light rail,” Ms Castley concluded.