In 2022-23 the ACT was again among the worst jurisdictions for Emergency Department wait times, according to the Productivity Commission’s Report on Government Services (ROGS) for Health released last night.

The ACT performed the worst of all jurisdictions on measures of patients’ length of time in ED, with only 47.9% of patients staying for 4 hours or less, compared to a national average 55.8%.

Deputy Opposition Leader and Shadow Minister for Health Leanne Castley said once again these statistics are a disgrace and an indictment on the ACT Labor-Greens government.

“Every year the Labor-Greens government has managed the health system, it has performed worse than the national average,” Ms Castley said.

“This is embarrassing, but more importantly it has a real impact on Canberrans’ health outcomes.

“Each year we hear new excuses from the Health Minister about what she is doing to fix this crisis and each year she fails to improve the ACT’s ED wait times despite numerous promises.

“After a decade below the national average and no improvement, Canberrans are tired of excuses and spin from this government and want to see some solutions which bring the ACT in line with the rest of the country.

“This year Canberrans will be subjected to more propaganda from the government about everything it is doing in health but Canberrans know their public health system is failing them,” Ms Castley concluded.

The ACT was also the worst jurisdiction for treating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people within recommended wait times – coming in at 50% compared to NSW at 74% and a national average of 67%.

The ACT was by far the worst jurisdiction for the percentage of Aboriginal and Indigenous patients spending 4 hours or less in ED.

Elective surgery waiting times in the ACT also ballooned – with 30% of elective surgery patients in 2022-23 not admitted within clinically recommended times, up from 24.6% in 2021-22 and 15% in 2020-21.

According to the ROGS Report in 2022-23, ACT elective surgery waiting times were impacted by reductions in activity related to implementation of the Digital Health Record, as well as by the Calvary fire.