THE 2021-22 ACT Budget will commit $90 million towards increasing Canberra Hospital’s intensive care unit, expanding the emergency medical unit and increasing emergency surgery theatre hours. 

When the ACT government hands down the budget next month, it will include:

• $28.4 million allocated to operationalise the additional four beds in the Intensive Care Unit in a staged way to 2023-24. 
• $22.9 million over four years to support an expansion of the Emergency Medical Unit (EMU) to 18 treatment spaces, as well as the introduction of a new Acute Medical Unit (AMU) and increasing the health workforce.
• $39.0 million to deliver an additional 1920 emergency surgery theatre hours per year and eight surgical beds to improve surgical outcomes for patients.

The funding also provides for a medical navigator, a highly skilled nurse who works with the senior medical team to ensure patients are cared for in the right ED location and to support the admission process and facilitate transfer to the right inpatient ward.