❓ Update on the Liberal-National government's program to support St John Ambulance in regional WA, including funding injection, new ambulances, staff recruitment, and volunteer training.
AnsweredQoN 750Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ST JOHN
AMBULANCE
750. Mr V.A. CATANIA to the
Minister for Regional Development:
I understand that two new ambulances were recently delivered
to Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek as part of the Liberal–National
government's commitment to support the St John Ambulance service across
Western Australia. With this in mind, could the minister please provide an
update on this program?
AMBULANCE
750. Mr V.A. CATANIA to the
Minister for Regional Development:
I understand that two new ambulances were recently delivered
to Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek as part of the Liberal–National
government's commitment to support the St John Ambulance service across
Western Australia. With this in mind, could the minister please provide an
update on this program?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for North West for the question. St John
Ambulance in country WA covers 2.5 million square kilometres and looks after 32
000 people annually. In 2011, the Minister for Health, off the back of the
inquiry into St John Ambulance, came back to government and said that St John
Ambulance had been underfunded and left to its own devices under the previous
Labor administration. The Minister for Health was determined to right that
wrong. Part of righting that wrong was a $150 million injection into St John
Ambulance across the state, including $26 million from the royalties for
regions program. What does that money mean on the ground in regional
communities for the delivery of St John services? Part of this funding
delivered seven new ambulances to the Kimberley. St John Ambulance in Fitzroy
Crossing and Halls Creek both recently received a new troop carrier ambulance.
By the end of the year, we expect that three new ambulances will be based in
Derby and two each in Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek. As well as funding to
provide new ambulances across the Kimberley, it is also being used to employ
additional staff. St John is currently recruiting nurse educators, who will
boost emergency clinical services in Derby, Fitzroy and Halls Creek. Really
importantly, under this plan 17 community paramedics have been employed across
the state. We had a major challenge attracting volunteers into the sub-centres.
The volunteers who were there were being called on again and again, almost getting
up each day and putting on their uniforms as volunteers.
Mr D.J. Kelly :
They'll be run off their feet, and you know it.
The SPEAKER : Thank
you very much for that, member for Bassendean. That was very interesting. I
call you to order for the first time.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS :
Seventeen new community paramedics have been put in place across Western
Australia to support the volunteers and to provide that structure around St John.
They are working in Esperance, the northern goldfields, Geraldton, Northampton,
Meekatharra, Wyndham, Katanning, Jerramungup, Manjimup, Margaret River,
Donnybrook, Merredin, Lancelin, Beverley, Lake Grace, Narrogin and Carnarvon—an
absolutely huge boost to St John services in regional areas. These 17 new
paramedics are fully trained to support the volunteers who provide such a vital
service to country communities. These paramedics will recruit and train
volunteers and respond to emergencies in these communities. There are more than
3 000 St John Ambulance volunteers across regional Western Australia. On
volunteers' day, we thank every single one of them for the contribution
they make to the safety of regional Western Australia. They are the first on
the scene in emergencies and it is important that their skills are up-to-date.
The funding will also provide increased training for volunteers. Six hundred
and one volunteers have completed their primary ambulance care training; 662
have completed their advanced ambulance care training; 92 have completed their
ambulance driver training; and 538 have completed monitor defibrillation
training. This is another example of how the government has focused on the
challenges in regional Western Australia, looked at the problem and responded
to the inquiry into St John Ambulance and made substantial commitments to make
life better for volunteers, which makes life better for people living in
country WA.
Ambulance in country WA covers 2.5 million square kilometres and looks after 32
000 people annually. In 2011, the Minister for Health, off the back of the
inquiry into St John Ambulance, came back to government and said that St John
Ambulance had been underfunded and left to its own devices under the previous
Labor administration. The Minister for Health was determined to right that
wrong. Part of righting that wrong was a $150 million injection into St John
Ambulance across the state, including $26 million from the royalties for
regions program. What does that money mean on the ground in regional
communities for the delivery of St John services? Part of this funding
delivered seven new ambulances to the Kimberley. St John Ambulance in Fitzroy
Crossing and Halls Creek both recently received a new troop carrier ambulance.
By the end of the year, we expect that three new ambulances will be based in
Derby and two each in Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek. As well as funding to
provide new ambulances across the Kimberley, it is also being used to employ
additional staff. St John is currently recruiting nurse educators, who will
boost emergency clinical services in Derby, Fitzroy and Halls Creek. Really
importantly, under this plan 17 community paramedics have been employed across
the state. We had a major challenge attracting volunteers into the sub-centres.
The volunteers who were there were being called on again and again, almost getting
up each day and putting on their uniforms as volunteers.
Mr D.J. Kelly :
They'll be run off their feet, and you know it.
The SPEAKER : Thank
you very much for that, member for Bassendean. That was very interesting. I
call you to order for the first time.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS :
Seventeen new community paramedics have been put in place across Western
Australia to support the volunteers and to provide that structure around St John.
They are working in Esperance, the northern goldfields, Geraldton, Northampton,
Meekatharra, Wyndham, Katanning, Jerramungup, Manjimup, Margaret River,
Donnybrook, Merredin, Lancelin, Beverley, Lake Grace, Narrogin and Carnarvon—an
absolutely huge boost to St John services in regional areas. These 17 new
paramedics are fully trained to support the volunteers who provide such a vital
service to country communities. These paramedics will recruit and train
volunteers and respond to emergencies in these communities. There are more than
3 000 St John Ambulance volunteers across regional Western Australia. On
volunteers' day, we thank every single one of them for the contribution
they make to the safety of regional Western Australia. They are the first on
the scene in emergencies and it is important that their skills are up-to-date.
The funding will also provide increased training for volunteers. Six hundred
and one volunteers have completed their primary ambulance care training; 662
have completed their advanced ambulance care training; 92 have completed their
ambulance driver training; and 538 have completed monitor defibrillation
training. This is another example of how the government has focused on the
challenges in regional Western Australia, looked at the problem and responded
to the inquiry into St John Ambulance and made substantial commitments to make
life better for volunteers, which makes life better for people living in
country WA.
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