I rise to speak on the Ballarat Health Services annual report of
2006-07. This report is a remarkable achievement for Ballarat
Health Services. It is particularly worth noting that the 150th anniversary of
the Ballarat Base Hospital was celebrated in September. The foundation stone for
the hospital was originally laid on Christmas Day one year after the Eureka
Stockade, when 7000 members of the Ballarat community marched up Sturt Street
behind the Masonic band to witness the laying of that stone. The very genesis of
health services in Ballarat was brought about by the community, which continues
to be the driving force of underpinning a fantastic health service for Ballarat
and surrounding areas.
Through the reporting period the patient activity at Ballarat
Health Services continued to reach record levels, similar to other health
organisations throughout the state. A total of 30 309 patients were treated,
which represents an increase of 5.52 per cent. That number of patients is
actually more than the entire population of Ballarat when the foundation stone
was laid.
Community support for the Ballarat hospital is not new and has
existed for 150 years. As recently as at the time of this report, the
fundraising from individuals in the community represented 10 per cent of funds
that are contributed to the hospital. The state government provides significant
contributions to the hospital. During this reporting year, the state government
was able to provide significant funding to create a sixth operating theatre. A
number of other foundations contributed to funding as well. There were generous gifts, and an appeal raised over $1 million
for necessary equipment.
Like all health services, the Ballarat hospital and Ballarat
Health Services, more generally, are facing increased cost pressures, an
increase in patient demand and a pressure for an increase in services. Ballarat
Health Services now provides 80 specialist services throughout the community.
They are listed on the back page of this report. Continuous change requires a
24/7 operation for the delivery of health. We obviously need sophisticated
management that can identify problems when they arrive, predict problems and
respond in an appropriate and timely fashion. The system needs to be nimble and
alert. I am pleased to report that this is the case for Ballarat Health
Services.
Ballarat Health Services had a surplus of almost $300 000; I am
sure that every member in this chamber would agree that that is difficult and
unusual to achieve in today’s climate, given the pressure the health system is
under.
I would like to highlight the Aboriginal task force which was
set up during this reporting year. This is a partnership with the local
Aboriginal community. The project has a specialist midwifery program and liaison
officers for the local Ballarat community and Horsham community. I look forward
to hearing more about that issue.
In conclusion I would like to thank all of the people involved
in Ballarat Health Services, including Lynne McLennan and Andrew Rowe for their
stewardship, and all the staff for their tireless work.