The ACT government has said it will spend more on health services to cope with growing emergency department admissions and demand for surgeries.
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Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said the government would pour an additional $60 million into Canberra Health Services as part of its mid-year budget review.
The funding increase follows worsening performance in the national capital's emergency departments compared to the rest of the country.
Ms Stephen-Smith said the funding would help meet the growing demand on the ACT's health care services, including for elective and emergency surgery.
The territory's hospitals performed a record number of elective surgeries in 2019 and were on track to perform even more this year, she said.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare figures in December showed wait times blow out at ACT emergency departments.
Fewer than half of people going through the doors of Canberra's emergency departments were seen within the required time in 2018-19, it found.
Canberra's hospitals have dealt with regular surges in demand and at times have had to use corridor beds. A horror flu season last year also stretched health services.
The country's peak medical body, the Australian Medical Association, has said many of the issues facing the ACT's health system involved resourcing and population increases.
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Canberra's public health system was focused on improving performance to operate more efficiently, Ms Stephen-Smith said.
"We know there are areas within the ACT public health system that are not as cost-effective as we could expect when compared to other jurisdictions, as well as areas that perform comparatively well," she said.
"The ACT government and the teams at ACT Health and Canberra Health Services are working to identify opportunities to keep improving.
"The priority of the ACT government and Canberra Health Services is to create an environment where staff feel supported and empowered to deliver exceptional health care."