Health and Wellnss
In respect of medical equipment lent by the Department to private facilities between 2019/20 and 2025/26:
- (a) How many public-sector patients rely on the categories of equipment that were lent, (b) what were the utilisation rates before the equipment was lent out and (c) what is the demand for such equipment in public facilities;
- whether any (a) delays, (b) waiting lists or (c) clinical backlogs occurred as a result of lending equipment; if so, (i) what are the relevant details and (ii) which facilities have been affected;
- what (a) internal authorisations, (b) memorandums or (c) approvals were issued for each lending instance?
I am informed by the Department of Health and Wellness that:
While the lending of medical equipment is not a routine practice, there are specific circumstances where equipment may be made available to another facility, including other public or private hospitals, on the grounds of compassionate use.
This only takes place based on the following criteria:
- Where there is a surplus of the specific item;
- Where another facility (public or private) faces a critical shortage; and
- Where the action will make the difference in safeguarding a patient’s life.
In such cases, the decision is informed by ethics, compassion, and clinical urgency, and is managed within proper governance processes including within standard asset management processes.
(1)(a)(b)(c) Please refer to the reply to question 15 of 20 February.
(2) The Department is not aware of any systemic delays, increased waiting lists, or clinical backlogs arising as a result of such case-by-case arrangements. Any decisions of this nature are made with due consideration of service delivery requirements to ensure that public-sector patients are not adversely affected.
(3) Please refer to the reply to question 15 of 20 February.
