CANBERRA Hospital is the most expensive and yet the most inefficient hospital in the country, according to a report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. 

In light of this Shadow Health Minister Vicki Dunne is asking the ACT government why Canberrans are pouring huge amounts into a system that isn’t delivering results?

“Our emergency department and elected surgery wait lists are among the worst in the nation, we cannot attract interstate health professionals because of the toxic work culture, nurses and patients are being assaulted, and the hospital infrastructure is so old, outdated and dodgy that, for example, wards are closed down and a lot of work is being outsourced,” Ms Dunne says. 

“Our nurses, doctors and hospital staff are hardworking and committed to Canberra patients even though they have so little backing from the government.”

The report, titled “Costs of acute admitted patients in public hospitals from 2012–13 to 2014–15”, examines the costs associated with providing similar treatment to patients, across comparable public hospitals.

“Acute admitted patients include those who are admitted for the management of childbirth, surgery, or other diagnostic and therapeutic procedures,” says AIHW spokesperson Dr Adrian Webster.

The report shows that some hospitals spent up to $6400 to deliver a notional “average” service for acute admitted patients, which cost as little as $3300 in other hospitals.

Four of the five major public hospitals with the lowest costs were located in Victoria: the Alfred, Monash Medical Centre, University Hospital Geelong, and St Vincent’s Hospital, with the remaining hospital—Nepean Hospital—located in New South Wales.

The five hospitals with the highest costs were located across Australia: Canberra (ACT), Royal Perth Wellington St Campus (WA), Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital (WA), Princess Alexandra Hospital (Qld), and Royal Adelaide Hospital (SA).