❓ Dr. Nahan questions the Minister for Health about alleged budget cuts impacting emergency department performance. The Minister denies budget cuts, citing increased efficiency and frontline investment.
AnsweredQoN 681Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HOSPITALS —
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS — PERFORMANCE TARGETS
681. Dr M.D. NAHAN to the Minister for Health:
I have a supplementary question. Can
the minister confirm that his budget cuts caused the number of emergency
patients seen within four hours to decline in 50 per cent of our hospitals in
the past year and that his budget cuts are putting lives at risk?
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS — PERFORMANCE TARGETS
681. Dr M.D. NAHAN to the Minister for Health:
I have a supplementary question. Can
the minister confirm that his budget cuts caused the number of emergency
patients seen within four hours to decline in 50 per cent of our hospitals in
the past year and that his budget cuts are putting lives at risk?
AnswerView source ↗
The only problem with the premise of
that question is that it is completely wrong. There have been no budget cuts.
In fact, the growth in budgets for activity in our hospitals has grown by three
per cent. The Leader of the Opposition asks: why have we managed to constrain
the growth of our budget to between 1.5 and two per cent if we are growing
activity in the hospitals by three per cent? I can tell members how we have
done it. We have reduced the overheads those hospitals have to bear, such as
those at Royal Street. The number of senior executive staff at Royal Street has
gone down from 59 to 28. In the short period that we have been in office, we
have created a more efficient health system, a health system that means we can
put more dollars into the frontline.
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member!
Mr R.H. COOK : As a result of
that, we are seeing great efficiencies being achieved—efficiencies that
since the activity-based funding model has come in have never been achieved.
While other hospitals around Australia are becoming more efficient, when the
sorry mob opposite was in government, it was becoming more inefficient. As a result
of that, our hospitals are doing a great job.
Mr V.A. Catania interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for North
West Central, I call you to order for the first time.
that question is that it is completely wrong. There have been no budget cuts.
In fact, the growth in budgets for activity in our hospitals has grown by three
per cent. The Leader of the Opposition asks: why have we managed to constrain
the growth of our budget to between 1.5 and two per cent if we are growing
activity in the hospitals by three per cent? I can tell members how we have
done it. We have reduced the overheads those hospitals have to bear, such as
those at Royal Street. The number of senior executive staff at Royal Street has
gone down from 59 to 28. In the short period that we have been in office, we
have created a more efficient health system, a health system that means we can
put more dollars into the frontline.
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member!
Mr R.H. COOK : As a result of
that, we are seeing great efficiencies being achieved—efficiencies that
since the activity-based funding model has come in have never been achieved.
While other hospitals around Australia are becoming more efficient, when the
sorry mob opposite was in government, it was becoming more inefficient. As a result
of that, our hospitals are doing a great job.
Mr V.A. Catania interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for North
West Central, I call you to order for the first time.
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