Independents for Canberra candidates have announced their commitment to tackling wait times in the ACT’s healthcare system, addressing Canberra’s GP workforce crisis and developing a long-term vision for improving health outcomes for Canberrans.

A crossbench of Independents for Canberra MLAs will commit to:

• Clearing 75 per cent of the elective surgery waitlist within 12 months of being elected.
  
  
• Implementing a co-designed retention and burnout prevention strategy for existing GPs and offering an incentives package to attract new GPs, providing up to twenty $40,000 grants per year to incentivise GP registrars to train and remain in the ACT.
  
  
• Developing a long-term strategic vision for a nation-leading healthcare system that provides fully integrated care and makes Canberra the best place in the country for a career in health.

“Canberrans deserve a nation-leading healthcare system,” said Sneha KC, candidate for Yerrabi.

“I’ve been a registered nurse in Canberra for over a decade, witnessing firsthand the burnout in our sector and the consequences of that burnout for patients.

“We need a long-term strategic plan for improving the integration of care and enhancing conditions for healthcare professionals.

“These strong initial measures will have an immediate impact, creating space to build a sustainable system that delivers top-quality care for people of all ages, backgrounds and circumstances.”

“I’ve had heartbreaking conversations with residents in Tuggeranong about their healthcare struggles. People report being left waiting years for surgery with no updates,” said Dr Vanessa Picker, candidate for Brindabella.

“It’s time to build a system that doesn’t keep you waiting.

“We need to celebrate and support our current doctors as well as implement innovative measures to attract new talent.

“We can’t keep passing the buck. We’re committing to holding ourselves and our colleagues in the Legislative Assembly responsible for delivering tangible improvements to health outcomes across our community.”

“Something has to change,” said Thomas Emerson, leader of Independents for Canberra and candidate for Kurrajong.

“We have the least GPs per capita of any capital city in the country, the longest emergency wait times, the least Category 2 planned surgeries completed within clinically recommended timeframes, and Australia’s slowest aged care assessment turnaround times.

“How can it be that we have the nation’s worst healthcare system on so many metrics? We’re not seeing the urgent action needed to lift ourselves off the bottom rung of the ladder.

“This is a small jurisdiction with a high median income and a single level of government – surely we’re primed for solving problems quickly. 

“Equitable access to GPs is a vital first step. Too many Canberrans can’t get in to see a GP, meaning complex issues get missed, early intervention doesn’t happen, and care becomes fragmented.

“We need a government that’s truly committed to providing high-quality healthcare for everyone.

“We need a government that says ‘no’ to the normalisation of inhumane wait times.

“And we need a government that’s doing everything possible to make the ACT the best place in the country for a career in health.”

Media Contact:

Annie Frisch | 0410 738 610 |‬‬ [email protected] 

More details are available at www.independentsforcanberra.com/policy