- Expanding health infrastructure in Canberra’s North with a new elective surgery centre
- More elective surgery and outpatient procedures at Canberra and Calvary hospitals
A re-elected ACT Labor Government will deliver a new Northside Elective Surgery Centre at the University of Canberra Hospital precinct as part of our plan to expand health infrastructure in Canberra’s north.
Canberra’s north is continuing to grow, and ACT Labor will ensure that our health infrastructure can cater for this growing demand.
Combined with the Canberra Hospital Expansion and ongoing planning for a new northside hospital, a Labor Government will ensure that we can continue to provide better healthcare – where and when Canberrans need it.
Providing day surgery away from the hospital campus will improve the efficiency of our elective surgery capacity and provide better, more holistic care for patients.
Once online, the centre will take pressure off our current and future hospitals by delivering day procedures including ear, nose and throat, gynaecological, orthopaedic, ophthalmology and dental.
A re-elected Labor Government will begin work with the University of Canberra for the centre to be operational in 2024-25 at a cost of around $21 million.
As planning for these northside infrastructure projects proceeds, a re-elected ACT Labor Government will inject $16 million over three years to upgrade and expand existing endoscopy facilities at the Canberra Hospital.
This investment will deliver an additional 5,000 endoscopy procedures each year from 2023, meeting the growing need for diagnosis and detection of many conditions, including some cancers.
We will also invest an additional $31.4 million to deliver around 60,000 elective surgeries over the next four years, building on our commitment to employ 400 more health workers across our health system.
This means approximately 6,000 more elective surgeries will be performed over the next four years compared with the four years to 2019.
Our plan is achievable and built on a strong foundation of investment over the past four years, including two new theatres and an expanded urology service at Calvary Public Hospital.
We delivered a record number of elective surgeries in 2019, and have grown elective surgery numbers at double the national average rate over the past five years.
As our city continues to grow, ACT Labor will keep investing in healthcare closer to home for all Canberrans.