❓ Ms. Davies questions the Minister for Health on increased ambulance ramping hours compared to 2017, which the Minister attributes to the global pandemic's impact on healthcare demand and patient acuity.
AnsweredQoN 312Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
AMBULANCE RAMPING
312. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Minister for Health:
I have a supplementary question. In
2017, the minister characterised 1 030 ramping hours as being a crisis point. How does the minister characterise the
catastrophic record this government is setting, which is more than five times the figure that the minister so harshly critiqued back then? How does the
minister characterise it?
312. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Minister for Health:
I have a supplementary question. In
2017, the minister characterised 1 030 ramping hours as being a crisis point. How does the minister characterise the
catastrophic record this government is setting, which is more than five times the figure that the minister so harshly critiqued back then? How does the
minister characterise it?
AnswerView source ↗
It
is because this is not 2017! Something has happened since 2017, Leader of the
Opposition. It is called a global pandemic.
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Cottesloe, you have not asked the question, so I ask you not to interject.
Mr R.H. COOK : There is one
born every day, Madam Speaker!
There
has been a global pandemic that has changed the way that people are consuming
health services. We have had an increase in the volume of presentations,
specifically an increase in acuity. That means we have had a significant
increase in the number of category 1 patients presenting to our EDs. That has
led to a 17 per cent increase in the length of episodes of care in our
emergency departments, which is significantly challenging the flow of patients.
In addition, we have had a significant increase in the number of mental health
patients. As we know—although the member for Cottesloe would not
appreciate or even attempt to understand this—as a result of the
pandemic, anxiety levels have increased in the community, which has increased
the number of presentations of mental health patients. I thought members
opposite would be a bit more sensitive about these issues. The government will
stand by patients and make sure that we get
more resources in play. We will increase services and we will make sure that our great doctors and nurses working on the front line will have the resources
they need to provide the world-class health care that Western Australians
expect and deserve.
is because this is not 2017! Something has happened since 2017, Leader of the
Opposition. It is called a global pandemic.
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Cottesloe, you have not asked the question, so I ask you not to interject.
Mr R.H. COOK : There is one
born every day, Madam Speaker!
There
has been a global pandemic that has changed the way that people are consuming
health services. We have had an increase in the volume of presentations,
specifically an increase in acuity. That means we have had a significant
increase in the number of category 1 patients presenting to our EDs. That has
led to a 17 per cent increase in the length of episodes of care in our
emergency departments, which is significantly challenging the flow of patients.
In addition, we have had a significant increase in the number of mental health
patients. As we know—although the member for Cottesloe would not
appreciate or even attempt to understand this—as a result of the
pandemic, anxiety levels have increased in the community, which has increased
the number of presentations of mental health patients. I thought members
opposite would be a bit more sensitive about these issues. The government will
stand by patients and make sure that we get
more resources in play. We will increase services and we will make sure that our great doctors and nurses working on the front line will have the resources
they need to provide the world-class health care that Western Australians
expect and deserve.
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