❓ Mr. Cook questions the Minister for Health regarding increased elective surgery waitlists and waiting times since the current government took office, suggesting a failure to improve patient services. The Minister refutes this, highlighting increased funding and investment in health infrastructure.
AnsweredQoN 814Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ELECTIVE
SURGERY WAITLIST
814. Mr R.H.
COOK to the Minister for Health:
I
have a supplementary question. Speaking of long-term trends, when members opposite
were elected to government, only 12 000 people were on the elective surgery
waitlist; there are now over 20 000 people. When members opposite were first
elected, the median waiting time for those 12 000 patients was less than two
months; it is now almost more than three months. Again, I ask: is it true that
the minister has forgotten about patients and that patient services have failed
to improve under his watch?
SURGERY WAITLIST
814. Mr R.H.
COOK to the Minister for Health:
I
have a supplementary question. Speaking of long-term trends, when members opposite
were elected to government, only 12 000 people were on the elective surgery
waitlist; there are now over 20 000 people. When members opposite were first
elected, the median waiting time for those 12 000 patients was less than two
months; it is now almost more than three months. Again, I ask: is it true that
the minister has forgotten about patients and that patient services have failed
to improve under his watch?
AnswerView source ↗
Absolutely
not. I certainly do not consider a substantial increase in the amount of
elective surgery that has been provided as an indication of failure, as the
member is suggesting. I certainly do not regard the fact that the government
has nearly doubled the amount of funding allocated to the public hospital and
health system in the state since we were elected in 2008 as an indication of
failure. It is an indication of the government's enormous commitment
since September 2008 when it has been in office to improving public hospital
and health services across the state. As has been pointed out on many occasions
in the past, and as we will continue to remind members of the Western Australian
community, we have spent nearly $7 billion, of taxpayers' money, I emphasise,
to renew the hospital system right across the state, including Fiona Stanley
Hospital, Perth Children's Hospital, Midland Health Campus, and
hospitals in Albany, Kalgoorlie and Karratha. There are many other examples
right around the state where far better health services are being provided than
was ever the case previously with better facilities, better paid staff and also
more occasions of services being provided, whether it is for emergency
departments or elective surgeries.
not. I certainly do not consider a substantial increase in the amount of
elective surgery that has been provided as an indication of failure, as the
member is suggesting. I certainly do not regard the fact that the government
has nearly doubled the amount of funding allocated to the public hospital and
health system in the state since we were elected in 2008 as an indication of
failure. It is an indication of the government's enormous commitment
since September 2008 when it has been in office to improving public hospital
and health services across the state. As has been pointed out on many occasions
in the past, and as we will continue to remind members of the Western Australian
community, we have spent nearly $7 billion, of taxpayers' money, I emphasise,
to renew the hospital system right across the state, including Fiona Stanley
Hospital, Perth Children's Hospital, Midland Health Campus, and
hospitals in Albany, Kalgoorlie and Karratha. There are many other examples
right around the state where far better health services are being provided than
was ever the case previously with better facilities, better paid staff and also
more occasions of services being provided, whether it is for emergency
departments or elective surgeries.
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