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1. What was proposed (co-sponsored)Mark PartonLiberal · OppositionElizabeth LeeLiberal · Opposition
   Read the original wording (420 words)

   That this Assembly: (1) notes that: (a) the ACT does not currently operate a self-contained paediatric oncology and haematology service, with care provided through a shared-care model involving Canberra Health Services and tertiary services, principally the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network; (b) while the current model enables some treatment and supportive care to be provided closer to home, many children and families are still required to travel interstate for specialised diagnosis, treatment, clinical review and other tertiary services; and (c) interstate travel for treatment can impose significant emotional, financial and practical pressures on families already dealing with a child’s serious illness; (2) further notes that: (a) a recent Assembly petition calling for a dedicated paediatric oncology and haematology unit at Canberra Hospital received 2,364 signatures, demonstrating significant community concern about current arrangements; (b) an enhanced regional paediatric oncology and haematology service would increase the range of care safely delivered in Canberra while maintaining access to interstate tertiary services for highly specialised treatment; and (c) Canberrans travelling interstate may access assistance through the ACT Interstate Patient Travel Assistance Scheme (IPTAS), but families have raised concern about the onerous administrative burden, often requiring them to repeatedly provide evidence of travel, accommodation and appointments during periods of acute stress and intensive caregiving responsibilities; and (3) calls on the Government to: (a) undertake a formal feasibility and scoping exercise into establishing an enhanced regional paediatric oncology and haematology service at Canberra Hospital, in partnership with the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network and other relevant clinical partners; (b) ensure the scoping exercise considers: (i) current patient activity and treatment pathways; (ii) which aspects of paediatric oncology and haematology care could safely and sustainably be delivered in Canberra; (iii) workforce, infrastructure, pharmacy, pathology, imaging, inpatient and day-treatment requirements; (iv) clinical governance, escalation and transfer arrangements with tertiary services; and (v) the capital and recurrent funding required for the preferred model; (c) engage with the Commonwealth, NSW Government and Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network to identify opportunities to expand the proportion of paediatric oncology and haematology care that can safely be delivered closer to home; (d) strengthen IPTAS by reducing unnecessary administrative requirements for families undertaking repeated interstate treatment, improving access to assistance in advance where appropriate and reviewing travel, accommodation and transport assistance against the actual costs faced by families; and (e) report to the Assembly by 1 December 2026 on the outcome of the feasibility and scoping exercise, discussions with NSW and tertiary clinical partners, the preferred service model and proposed reforms to IPTAS. Debate ensued.

2. Proposed changeRebecca VassarottiGreens · Crossbench24 September 2026

   Grouped by key words as: added a new call or point, changed a date or deadline, added reporting or consultation.

   Before

   (a) the ACT does not currently operate a self-contained paediatric oncology and haematology service, with care provided through a shared-care model involving Canberra Health Services and tertiary services, principally the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network

   After this change

   (a) the ACT does not currently operate a self-contained paediatric oncology and haematology service, with care provided through a shared-care model involving Canberra Health Services and interstate specialised services, principally the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network;

   The exact wording of this change

   together: 1. Omit paragraph (1)(a), substitute: “(a) the ACT does not currently operate a self-contained paediatric oncology and haematology service, with care provided through a shared-care model involving Canberra Health Services and interstate specialised services, principally the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network;”. 2. After paragraph (1)(a), insert: “(aa) many treatments require a reasonable number of patients to meet safety and quality thresholds, and highly specialised services require a specialist skillset that can often only be met in large states such as NSW;”. 3. Omit paragraph (2)(b), substitute: “(b) an enhanced regional paediatric oncology and haematology service may increase the range of care safely delivered in Canberra while maintaining access to interstate tertiary services for highly specialised treatment; and”. 4. Omit paragraph (3)(b)(iv), substitute: “(iv) clinical governance, escalation and transfer arrangements with specialised services; and”. 5. Omit paragraph (3)(d), substitute: “(d) complete the review of IPTAS to enhance the user experience, reduce administrative burden and support more timely processing of applications;”. 6. After paragraph (3)(d), insert: “(dd) as part of the IPTAS review, immediately offer all families a PLaNS (Paediatric Liaison and Navigation Service) navigator and consider what viable solutions may provide greater support, both now and in the future;”. 7. Omit paragraph (3)(e), substitute: “(f) report to the Assembly by 30 June 2027 on the outcome of the feasibility and scoping exercise, discussions with NSW and specialised clinical partners, the preferred service model, and completed IPTAS review, and provide an interim report on the IPTAS review by March 2027.”. Debate continued.

   Agreed on the voices. No individual votes were recorded. Its wording is in the final text.

3. What the Assembly decidedAgreed

   Decided on the voices: no individual votes were recorded, so this doesn’t show that every MLA agreed.

   Final agreed wording, with changes marked

   That this Assembly: (1) notes that: (a) the ACT does not currently operate a self-contained paediatric oncology and haematology service, with care provided through a shared-care model involving Canberra Health Services and interstate specialised services, principally the Sydney Children’s Hospitals NetworkVassarotti; (b) many treatments require a reasonable number of patients to meet safety and quality thresholds, and highly specialised services require a specialist skillset that can often only be met in large states such as NSW; (c) while the current model enables some treatment and supportive care to be provided closer to home, many children and families are still required to travel interstate for specialised diagnosis, treatment, clinical review and other tertiary services; and (d) interstate travel for treatment can impose significant emotional, financial and practical pressures on families already dealing with a child’s serious illness; (2) further notes that: (a) a recent Assembly petition calling for a dedicated paediatric oncology and haematology unit at Canberra Hospital received 2,364 signatures, demonstrating significant community concern about current arrangements; (b) an enhanced regional paediatric oncology and haematology service may increase the range of care safely delivered in Canberra while maintaining access to interstate tertiary services for highly specialised treatment; andVassarotti (c) Canberrans travelling interstate may access assistance through the ACT Interstate Patient Travel Assistance Scheme (IPTAS), but families have raised concern about the onerous administrative burden, often requiring them to repeatedly provide evidence of travel, accommodation and appointments during periods of acute stress and intensive caregiving responsibilities; and (3) calls on the Government to: (a) undertake a formal feasibility and scoping exercise into establishing an enhanced regional paediatric oncology and haematology service at Canberra Hospital, in partnership with the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network and other relevant clinical partners; (b) ensure the scoping exercise considers: (i) current patient activity and treatment pathways; (ii) which aspects of paediatric oncology and haematology care could safely and sustainably be delivered in Canberra; (iii) workforce, infrastructure, pharmacy, pathology, imaging, inpatient and day-treatment requirements; (iv) clinical governance, escalation and transfer arrangements with specialised services; andVassarotti (v) the capital and recurrent funding required for the preferred model; (c) engage with the Commonwealth, NSW Government and Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network to identify opportunities to expand the proportion of paediatric oncology and haematology care that can safely be delivered closer to home; (d) complete the review of IPTAS to enhance the user experience, reduce administrative burden and support more timely processing of applicationsVassarotti; (e) as part of the IPTAS review, immediately offer all families a PLaNS (Paediatric Liaison and Navigation Service) navigator and consider what viable solutions may provide greater support, both now and in the future; and (f) report to the Assembly by 30 June 2027 on the outcome of the feasibility and scoping exercise, discussions with NSW and specialised clinical partners, the preferred service model, and completed IPTAS review, and provide an interim report on the IPTAS review by March 2027Vassarotti.

   Original and final wording compared

   taken out put in

   That this Assembly: (1) notes that: (a) the ACT does not currently operate a self-contained paediatric oncology and haematology service, with care provided through a shared-care model involving Canberra Health Services and [taken out: tertiary][put in: interstate specialised]services, principally the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network; (b) [put in: many treatments require a reasonable number of patients to meet safety and quality thresholds, and highly specialised services require a specialist skillset that can often only be met in large states such as NSW; (c)]while the current model enables some treatment and supportive care to be provided closer to home, many children and families are still required to travel interstate for specialised diagnosis, treatment, clinical review and other tertiary services; and [taken out: (c)][put in: (d)]interstate travel for treatment can impose significant emotional, financial and practical pressures on families already dealing with a child’s serious illness; (2) further notes that: (a) a recent Assembly petition calling for a dedicated paediatric oncology and haematology unit at Canberra Hospital received 2,364 signatures, demonstrating significant community concern about current arrangements; (b) an enhanced regional paediatric oncology and haematology service [taken out: would][put in: may]increase the range of care safely delivered in Canberra while maintaining access to interstate tertiary services for highly specialised treatment; and (c) Canberrans travelling interstate may access assistance through the ACT Interstate Patient Travel Assistance Scheme (IPTAS), but families have raised concern about the onerous administrative burden, often requiring them to repeatedly provide evidence of travel, accommodation and appointments during periods of acute stress and intensive caregiving responsibilities; and (3) calls on the Government to: (a) undertake a formal feasibility and scoping exercise into establishing an enhanced regional paediatric oncology and haematology service at Canberra Hospital, in partnership with the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network and other relevant clinical partners; (b) ensure the scoping exercise considers: (i) current patient activity and treatment pathways; (ii) which aspects of paediatric oncology and haematology care could safely and sustainably be delivered in Canberra; (iii) workforce, infrastructure, pharmacy, pathology, imaging, inpatient and day-treatment requirements; (iv) clinical governance, escalation and transfer arrangements with [taken out: tertiary][put in: specialised]services; and (v) the capital and recurrent funding required for the preferred model; (c) engage with the Commonwealth, NSW Government and Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network to identify opportunities to expand the proportion of paediatric oncology and haematology care that can safely be delivered closer to home; (d) [taken out: strengthen][put in: complete the review of]IPTAS [taken out: by reducing unnecessary][put in: to enhance the user experience, reduce]administrative [taken out: requirements for][put in: burden and support more timely processing of applications; (e) as part of the IPTAS review, immediately offer all]families [taken out: undertaking repeated interstate treatment, improving access to assistance in advance where appropriate][put in: a PLaNS (Paediatric Liaison]and [taken out: reviewing travel, accommodation][put in: Navigation Service) navigator]and [taken out: transport assistance against][put in: consider what viable solutions may provide greater support, both now and in]the [taken out: actual costs faced by families;][put in: future;]and [taken out: (e)][put in: (f)]report to the Assembly by [taken out: 1 December 2026][put in: 30 June 2027]on the outcome of the feasibility and scoping exercise, discussions with NSW and [taken out: tertiary][put in: specialised]clinical partners, the preferred service model, and [taken out: proposed reforms to][put in: completed]IPTAS [taken out: Debate ensued.][put in: review, and provide an interim report on the IPTAS review by March 2027.]

   Compared word by word by computer, ignoring punctuation. It shows what differs, not which change made each difference; the steps above show that.