❓ Mr. Cook questions the Minister for Health about the state of regional ambulance services after eight years of government attention. The Minister defends the government's approach and praises volunteer efforts.
AnsweredQoN 645Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
AMBULANCE SERVICE MODEL — REGIONAL AREAS
645. Mr R.H. COOK to the Minister for
Health:
I have a supplementary question.
This is not the first piece of work that has drawn the government's
attention to the parlous state of country ambulance services. How is it that
after eight years we have got to this position, yet now the minister is not even
going to make decisions?
645. Mr R.H. COOK to the Minister for
Health:
I have a supplementary question.
This is not the first piece of work that has drawn the government's
attention to the parlous state of country ambulance services. How is it that
after eight years we have got to this position, yet now the minister is not even
going to make decisions?
AnswerView source ↗
I do not think my answer was
properly heard. I did not say we were not going to make decisions at all; I said
we would make considered decisions, which is an appropriate way to respond to
the issues.
Also, I would not describe the state
of country ambulances services as parlous. I certainly would not use that
description at all, because, amongst other things, I think that implicitly is
very critical of the volunteers who are out there helping to provide an
emergency response, in many cases in difficult circumstances. It is clear they
have to respond to some very difficult situations, whether they are motor
vehicle crashes or other incidents, and I and this government very much
appreciate and support what they are doing. We want to ensure that they are
appropriately and adequately supported in the future, but I think it is always
going to be the case that in a state as large as Western Australia, with a very
dispersed population and relatively low population densities, we are going to
rely on volunteers to provide emergency services responses, whether it is in
the ambulance system or in firefighting or in sea search and rescue, for
example.
As I understand, there is a good
level of acceptance of the support provided through the police portfolio and
also through the emergency services portfolio for their respective volunteers.
If the lessons learnt from those areas can be transferred into the ambulance
service, that will be done.
properly heard. I did not say we were not going to make decisions at all; I said
we would make considered decisions, which is an appropriate way to respond to
the issues.
Also, I would not describe the state
of country ambulances services as parlous. I certainly would not use that
description at all, because, amongst other things, I think that implicitly is
very critical of the volunteers who are out there helping to provide an
emergency response, in many cases in difficult circumstances. It is clear they
have to respond to some very difficult situations, whether they are motor
vehicle crashes or other incidents, and I and this government very much
appreciate and support what they are doing. We want to ensure that they are
appropriately and adequately supported in the future, but I think it is always
going to be the case that in a state as large as Western Australia, with a very
dispersed population and relatively low population densities, we are going to
rely on volunteers to provide emergency services responses, whether it is in
the ambulance system or in firefighting or in sea search and rescue, for
example.
As I understand, there is a good
level of acceptance of the support provided through the police portfolio and
also through the emergency services portfolio for their respective volunteers.
If the lessons learnt from those areas can be transferred into the ambulance
service, that will be done.
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