THE ACT government has turned its back on implementing immediate changes in emergency paediatric care at Canberra Hospital following the death of a Canberra teenager.

During a confronting A Current Affair investigation into the Canberra Hospital which focused on the recent deaths of a five-year-old and 13-year-old, Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith refused to answer questions about the issue of paediatric deaths at Canberra Hospital, and was chased through civic square by the program’s reporter.

In the report – which aired last night (September 5) – Australian Medical Association ACT president Professor Walter Abhayaratna said the hospital’s computer system is “not fit for purpose to identify patients in a timely fashion” and currently “does not identity extremely unwell children early enough”.

He said the ACT needed to follow the lead of NSW and Victoria and implement a better system of monitoring sick children who presented to the Canberra Hospital.

“I think there are some changes that could be introduced immediately and the early warning system is an example,” Abhayaratna told A Current Affair.

In backing his health minister, Chief Minister Andrew Barr told A Current Affair it would wait for the coroner’s report before changes were made.

But the Canberra Liberals said the government must act now and “urgently” review the care of seriously ill children at the Canberra Hospital.

“If the president of the ACT AMA is saying the system currently in place at the Canberra Hospital does not identify extremely unwell children early enough, especially compared to other states like NSW and Victoria then this is something that needs to be addressed immediately,” shadow health minister Leanne Castley said.

“The Canberra Liberals want to know what will be done now to support children’s health at the Canberra Hospital.”

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