❓ Opposition Leader questions hospital staffing levels amidst claims of oversupply despite doctors working extra hours. Premier defends government's investment in health and accuses the opposition of negativity towards new hospitals.
AnsweredQoN 896Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HOSPITALS —
STAFFING
896. Mr M. McGOWAN to the
Premier:
I have a
supplementary question. How can these hospitals, including Fiona Stanley
Hospital, be oversupplied by several hundred frontline staff if doctors are
already required to work extra rostered hours?
STAFFING
896. Mr M. McGOWAN to the
Premier:
I have a
supplementary question. How can these hospitals, including Fiona Stanley
Hospital, be oversupplied by several hundred frontline staff if doctors are
already required to work extra rostered hours?
AnswerView source ↗
The
over-representation of staffing is across the system. It varies from hospital
to hospital.
Several members
interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr C.J. BARNETT : We are not going to in any way diminish
frontline services in health, because this government has put a massive
investment into health and not only in the physical infrastructure of new hospitals—south
west, goldfields, but particularly in Perth. We have done that. We have
achieved what members opposite talked about but could not achieve. We have
increased salaries and our nurses and doctors are better paid than they are
anywhere else in Australia. We are proud of that. We are proud to pay nurses,
doctors, teachers and others who provide essential services well to keep them
in the system. But because of the creation of the new hospitals, there needs to
be some readjustment of staffing. Overall levels need to come down but, more
importantly, staff need to be where the new hospitals are and where the demand
for patient services are. I do not know, the Leader of the Opposition has
continually criticised Fiona Stanley Hospital. He is the most miserable person.
When have you ever stood up, opposition leader, and praised the staff, either
Serco staff or those at the new hospitals? The Leader of the Opposition
criticises Fiona Stanley Hospital and Midland Health Campus and he even
criticises the children's hospital. That is about where he is—about
the same level as the member for Bassendean.
Mr
P. Papalia interjected.
The SPEAKER : I am going to give you the same warning that I gave the member for
North West Central.
over-representation of staffing is across the system. It varies from hospital
to hospital.
Several members
interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr C.J. BARNETT : We are not going to in any way diminish
frontline services in health, because this government has put a massive
investment into health and not only in the physical infrastructure of new hospitals—south
west, goldfields, but particularly in Perth. We have done that. We have
achieved what members opposite talked about but could not achieve. We have
increased salaries and our nurses and doctors are better paid than they are
anywhere else in Australia. We are proud of that. We are proud to pay nurses,
doctors, teachers and others who provide essential services well to keep them
in the system. But because of the creation of the new hospitals, there needs to
be some readjustment of staffing. Overall levels need to come down but, more
importantly, staff need to be where the new hospitals are and where the demand
for patient services are. I do not know, the Leader of the Opposition has
continually criticised Fiona Stanley Hospital. He is the most miserable person.
When have you ever stood up, opposition leader, and praised the staff, either
Serco staff or those at the new hospitals? The Leader of the Opposition
criticises Fiona Stanley Hospital and Midland Health Campus and he even
criticises the children's hospital. That is about where he is—about
the same level as the member for Bassendean.
Mr
P. Papalia interjected.
The SPEAKER : I am going to give you the same warning that I gave the member for
North West Central.
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