Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Carol Brown for her supplementary question. This deal will ensure faster access to emergency departments and elective surgery. The agreement includes examples such as four-hour targets for emergency waiting times with the aim that 90 per cent of patients across all triage categories are seen within four hours. For elective surgery times, the agreement sets 100 per cent elective surgery targets aimed at ensuring all patients waiting for elective surgery are treated within clinically recommended times. The Senate may be aware that, in 2009-10, 16 per cent of more than 606,000 elective surgeries performed in Australia were not carried out within the clinically recommended times. Under the agreements struck by the Gillard government with the states and territories on board, we will work to ensure that— (Time expired)