The Greens should use their kingmaker status in the Legislative Assembly to lobby for a needle and syringe exchange in Canberra's prison, according to the Australian Medical Association.
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AMA ACT branch president Andrew Miller said the most significant health policy issue that Greens MLA Shane Rattenbury could raise during his negotiations with Labor and the Liberals over who would form the next government was the proposed needle exchange at the Alexander Maconochie Centre. ''We have an undertaking from the government but I detect that they could get wobbly on it,'' Dr Miller said.
''The opposition have been very one-eyed about it and the public health benefit is very clear. The issue of responsibility for people who are effectively under your care is very clear.''
Chief Minister Katy Gallagher wants to introduce a prison needle exchange but is facing opposition within the Labor Party from the powerful Community and Public Sector Union, which represents many prison staff.
The Greens support a needle exchange but the Liberals do not believe it is an appropriate service to run inside a prison.
Dr Miller said the needle exchange was the biggest point of difference between the parties in health policy and Mr Rattenbury should not hesitate to raise the issue with Liberal leader Zed Seselja.
''I think Shane Rattenbury should stand up to the Liberals, and say, 'Look Zed, the government's given the undertaking for the needle exchange program, it's extremely important for a whole swag of reasons that have been elucidated again and again in the public domain, what are you going to do about it?'''
Better co-ordination of health services was at the top of the Health Care Consumers' Association of the ACT's policy wishlist for party negotiations on the formation of government.
''We want the fragmentation to stop. We want the public health services developed in a co-ordinated way where you've got all of the services talking together and playing together,'' Health Care Consumers chief executive Darlene Cox said.
''If it's developed around the needs of consumers then there will be more continuity, better communication and less fragmentation.''
The Greens' published election promises identify many of the party's priorities for health services.
The Greens wanted a mobile primary health care clinic established to treat people who had difficulty accessing medical services and a feasibility study into the construction of a second hospice.
They also proposed the construction of a ''stand-alone'' birth centre in north Canberra.
Labor promised to open a birth centre inside Calvary Hospital in Bruce if it won the election.
The Greens and Labor both proposed the expansion of lymphodema services.
Liberals promises to boost preventive health care could prove attractive to the Greens.
Greens health spokeswoman Amanda Bresnan lost her seat, along with party leader Meredith Hunter and MLA Caroline Le Couteur.
