❓ Mr. Redman questions the Health Minister on the lack of Healthy@Home program funding for regional areas like Albany, while the Minister acknowledges the issue and commits to future funding for regional centres, potentially through Silver Chain.
AnsweredQoN 471Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SILVER CHAIN SERVICE - ALBANY
I refer to an article that appeared in the Albany Advertiser on 10 August 2006, in which the member for Albany was reported as saying that the Silver Chain service in Albany was “part of its own problem”, and described how it had had to cut back the unfunded services it provides to the community. (1) Will the minister detail the reasons that the state government offers funded support under its Healthy@Home programs - I refer to its hospital in the home, post-acute care and community-based chronic disease programs - to metropolitan patients only and not to those living in regional areas such as Albany? (2) Does the minister agree that if hospital in the home, post-acute care and community-based chronic disease programs were available in regional centres such as Albany, Silver Chain would not have felt obliged to provide post-acute care to patients not eligible for home and community care assistance? Mr J.A. McGINTY
I refer to an article that appeared in the Albany Advertiser on 10 August 2006, in which the member for Albany was reported as saying that the Silver Chain service in Albany was “part of its own problem”, and described how it had had to cut back the unfunded services it provides to the community. (1) Will the minister detail the reasons that the state government offers funded support under its Healthy@Home programs - I refer to its hospital in the home, post-acute care and community-based chronic disease programs - to metropolitan patients only and not to those living in regional areas such as Albany? (2) Does the minister agree that if hospital in the home, post-acute care and community-based chronic disease programs were available in regional centres such as Albany, Silver Chain would not have felt obliged to provide post-acute care to patients not eligible for home and community care assistance? Mr J.A. McGINTY
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(2) I thank the member for some notice of the question. Although the member for Stirling correctly quoted the member for Albany from an article that appeared in the Albany Advertiser , from memory the message he was conveying was that the Silver Chain service in that area had become a victim of its own success. It was certainly not a criticism of the Silver Chain organisation, which had taken it upon itself to provide a range of services beyond those for which it was funded. The point being made was that Silver Chain had done well in providing those services. The member for Albany has constantly been in my ear about the question of appropriate levels of funding for Silver Chain, particularly for the home and community care program services that are provided, particularly for those leaving hospital, to ensure that they are adequate. I am aware of the pressures that have been experienced in recent times, generally throughout the great southern and south west, although not exclusively in those areas, where there has been an enormous growth in demand. The funding provided to Silver Chain has risen by $18.9 million. That is an increase of 38 per cent since we came to government. The current level of funding provided to Silver Chain is $68.689 million a year. It is a significant investment. I take this opportunity to praise the work that Silver Chain does throughout the length and breadth of the state. I am sure that view is held by both sides of the house. The essence of the member’s question is: why is it that the Department of Health does not fund those ambulatory care services in cities such as Albany when it does so in the metropolitan area? There is a simple answer to that. As a result of the health reform program in which we are currently engaged, we have set about trying to reduce the dependence on hospital care - the hospital-centric approach to illness and health care in Western Australian - by actively and aggressively promoting the ambulatory care alternatives of chronic disease management, hospital in the home, and the Healthy@Home programs. That is the way we need to go for the future of sustainable health care delivery in Western Australia. We have aggressively started those in the biggest population centre in Western Australia. Once they have been embedded in the health care system and the health care consciousness, we will extend them to the major rural population centres of Albany, Bunbury, Kalgoorlie and Geraldton and to places in the state’s north. Dr K.D. Hames : Will you do that through Silver Chain? Mr J.A. McGINTY : That is a very good option. We will certainly be looking at using non-government organisations and, where we can, Silver Chain to provide that. That will mean, for instance, that someone who is currently in hospital in Albany and has had an operation but does not need constant nursing care in an acute setting will be able to go home and have medical professionals call on him to provide care. That will free up a hospital bed for someone who needs acute care. It is as simple as that. I give this commitment: we will provide that funding to Albany. We are delighted with the growth in the non-hospital admission based care, the hospital in the home programs and the like, and the way in which some very good people in the Department of Health have aggressively pursued those programs over the past 12 months as part of the health reform program. I expect that that funding will be available to the country cities in the not too distant future.
(1) Will the minister detail the reasons that the state government offers funded support under its Healthy@Home programs - I refer to its hospital in the home, post-acute care and community-based chronic disease programs - to metropolitan patients only and not to those living in regional areas such as Albany? (2) Does the minister agree that if hospital in the home, post-acute care and community-based chronic disease programs were available in regional centres such as Albany, Silver Chain would not have felt obliged to provide post-acute care to patients not eligible for home and community care assistance? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(2) I thank the member for some notice of the question. Although the member for Stirling correctly quoted the member for Albany from an article that appeared in the Albany Advertiser , from memory the message he was conveying was that the Silver Chain service in that area had become a victim of its own success. It was certainly not a criticism of the Silver Chain organisation, which had taken it upon itself to provide a range of services beyond those for which it was funded. The point being made was that Silver Chain had done well in providing those services. The member for Albany has constantly been in my ear about the question of appropriate levels of funding for Silver Chain, particularly for the home and community care program services that are provided, particularly for those leaving hospital, to ensure that they are adequate. I am aware of the pressures that have been experienced in recent times, generally throughout the great southern and south west, although not exclusively in those areas, where there has been an enormous growth in demand. The funding provided to Silver Chain has risen by $18.9 million. That is an increase of 38 per cent since we came to government. The current level of funding provided to Silver Chain is $68.689 million a year. It is a significant investment. I take this opportunity to praise the work that Silver Chain does throughout the length and breadth of the state. I am sure that view is held by both sides of the house. The essence of the member’s question is: why is it that the Department of Health does not fund those ambulatory care services in cities such as Albany when it does so in the metropolitan area? There is a simple answer to that. As a result of the health reform program in which we are currently engaged, we have set about trying to reduce the dependence on hospital care - the hospital-centric approach to illness and health care in Western Australian - by actively and aggressively promoting the ambulatory care alternatives of chronic disease management, hospital in the home, and the Healthy@Home programs. That is the way we need to go for the future of sustainable health care delivery in Western Australia. We have aggressively started those in the biggest population centre in Western Australia. Once they have been embedded in the health care system and the health care consciousness, we will extend them to the major rural population centres of Albany, Bunbury, Kalgoorlie and Geraldton and to places in the state’s north. Dr K.D. Hames : Will you do that through Silver Chain? Mr J.A. McGINTY : That is a very good option. We will certainly be looking at using non-government organisations and, where we can, Silver Chain to provide that. That will mean, for instance, that someone who is currently in hospital in Albany and has had an operation but does not need constant nursing care in an acute setting will be able to go home and have medical professionals call on him to provide care. That will free up a hospital bed for someone who needs acute care. It is as simple as that. I give this commitment: we will provide that funding to Albany. We are delighted with the growth in the non-hospital admission based care, the hospital in the home programs and the like, and the way in which some very good people in the Department of Health have aggressively pursued those programs over the past 12 months as part of the health reform program. I expect that that funding will be available to the country cities in the not too distant future.
(2) Does the minister agree that if hospital in the home, post-acute care and community-based chronic disease programs were available in regional centres such as Albany, Silver Chain would not have felt obliged to provide post-acute care to patients not eligible for home and community care assistance? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(2) I thank the member for some notice of the question. Although the member for Stirling correctly quoted the member for Albany from an article that appeared in the Albany Advertiser , from memory the message he was conveying was that the Silver Chain service in that area had become a victim of its own success. It was certainly not a criticism of the Silver Chain organisation, which had taken it upon itself to provide a range of services beyond those for which it was funded. The point being made was that Silver Chain had done well in providing those services. The member for Albany has constantly been in my ear about the question of appropriate levels of funding for Silver Chain, particularly for the home and community care program services that are provided, particularly for those leaving hospital, to ensure that they are adequate. I am aware of the pressures that have been experienced in recent times, generally throughout the great southern and south west, although not exclusively in those areas, where there has been an enormous growth in demand. The funding provided to Silver Chain has risen by $18.9 million. That is an increase of 38 per cent since we came to government. The current level of funding provided to Silver Chain is $68.689 million a year. It is a significant investment. I take this opportunity to praise the work that Silver Chain does throughout the length and breadth of the state. I am sure that view is held by both sides of the house. The essence of the member’s question is: why is it that the Department of Health does not fund those ambulatory care services in cities such as Albany when it does so in the metropolitan area? There is a simple answer to that. As a result of the health reform program in which we are currently engaged, we have set about trying to reduce the dependence on hospital care - the hospital-centric approach to illness and health care in Western Australian - by actively and aggressively promoting the ambulatory care alternatives of chronic disease management, hospital in the home, and the Healthy@Home programs. That is the way we need to go for the future of sustainable health care delivery in Western Australia. We have aggressively started those in the biggest population centre in Western Australia. Once they have been embedded in the health care system and the health care consciousness, we will extend them to the major rural population centres of Albany, Bunbury, Kalgoorlie and Geraldton and to places in the state’s north. Dr K.D. Hames : Will you do that through Silver Chain? Mr J.A. McGINTY : That is a very good option. We will certainly be looking at using non-government organisations and, where we can, Silver Chain to provide that. That will mean, for instance, that someone who is currently in hospital in Albany and has had an operation but does not need constant nursing care in an acute setting will be able to go home and have medical professionals call on him to provide care. That will free up a hospital bed for someone who needs acute care. It is as simple as that. I give this commitment: we will provide that funding to Albany. We are delighted with the growth in the non-hospital admission based care, the hospital in the home programs and the like, and the way in which some very good people in the Department of Health have aggressively pursued those programs over the past 12 months as part of the health reform program. I expect that that funding will be available to the country cities in the not too distant future.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(2) I thank the member for some notice of the question. Although the member for Stirling correctly quoted the member for Albany from an article that appeared in the Albany Advertiser , from memory the message he was conveying was that the Silver Chain service in that area had become a victim of its own success. It was certainly not a criticism of the Silver Chain organisation, which had taken it upon itself to provide a range of services beyond those for which it was funded. The point being made was that Silver Chain had done well in providing those services. The member for Albany has constantly been in my ear about the question of appropriate levels of funding for Silver Chain, particularly for the home and community care program services that are provided, particularly for those leaving hospital, to ensure that they are adequate. I am aware of the pressures that have been experienced in recent times, generally throughout the great southern and south west, although not exclusively in those areas, where there has been an enormous growth in demand. The funding provided to Silver Chain has risen by $18.9 million. That is an increase of 38 per cent since we came to government. The current level of funding provided to Silver Chain is $68.689 million a year. It is a significant investment. I take this opportunity to praise the work that Silver Chain does throughout the length and breadth of the state. I am sure that view is held by both sides of the house. The essence of the member’s question is: why is it that the Department of Health does not fund those ambulatory care services in cities such as Albany when it does so in the metropolitan area? There is a simple answer to that. As a result of the health reform program in which we are currently engaged, we have set about trying to reduce the dependence on hospital care - the hospital-centric approach to illness and health care in Western Australian - by actively and aggressively promoting the ambulatory care alternatives of chronic disease management, hospital in the home, and the Healthy@Home programs. That is the way we need to go for the future of sustainable health care delivery in Western Australia. We have aggressively started those in the biggest population centre in Western Australia. Once they have been embedded in the health care system and the health care consciousness, we will extend them to the major rural population centres of Albany, Bunbury, Kalgoorlie and Geraldton and to places in the state’s north. Dr K.D. Hames : Will you do that through Silver Chain? Mr J.A. McGINTY : That is a very good option. We will certainly be looking at using non-government organisations and, where we can, Silver Chain to provide that. That will mean, for instance, that someone who is currently in hospital in Albany and has had an operation but does not need constant nursing care in an acute setting will be able to go home and have medical professionals call on him to provide care. That will free up a hospital bed for someone who needs acute care. It is as simple as that. I give this commitment: we will provide that funding to Albany. We are delighted with the growth in the non-hospital admission based care, the hospital in the home programs and the like, and the way in which some very good people in the Department of Health have aggressively pursued those programs over the past 12 months as part of the health reform program. I expect that that funding will be available to the country cities in the not too distant future.
(1)-(2) I thank the member for some notice of the question. Although the member for Stirling correctly quoted the member for Albany from an article that appeared in the Albany Advertiser , from memory the message he was conveying was that the Silver Chain service in that area had become a victim of its own success. It was certainly not a criticism of the Silver Chain organisation, which had taken it upon itself to provide a range of services beyond those for which it was funded. The point being made was that Silver Chain had done well in providing those services. The member for Albany has constantly been in my ear about the question of appropriate levels of funding for Silver Chain, particularly for the home and community care program services that are provided, particularly for those leaving hospital, to ensure that they are adequate. I am aware of the pressures that have been experienced in recent times, generally throughout the great southern and south west, although not exclusively in those areas, where there has been an enormous growth in demand. The funding provided to Silver Chain has risen by $18.9 million. That is an increase of 38 per cent since we came to government. The current level of funding provided to Silver Chain is $68.689 million a year. It is a significant investment. I take this opportunity to praise the work that Silver Chain does throughout the length and breadth of the state. I am sure that view is held by both sides of the house. The essence of the member’s question is: why is it that the Department of Health does not fund those ambulatory care services in cities such as Albany when it does so in the metropolitan area? There is a simple answer to that. As a result of the health reform program in which we are currently engaged, we have set about trying to reduce the dependence on hospital care - the hospital-centric approach to illness and health care in Western Australian - by actively and aggressively promoting the ambulatory care alternatives of chronic disease management, hospital in the home, and the Healthy@Home programs. That is the way we need to go for the future of sustainable health care delivery in Western Australia. We have aggressively started those in the biggest population centre in Western Australia. Once they have been embedded in the health care system and the health care consciousness, we will extend them to the major rural population centres of Albany, Bunbury, Kalgoorlie and Geraldton and to places in the state’s north. Dr K.D. Hames : Will you do that through Silver Chain? Mr J.A. McGINTY : That is a very good option. We will certainly be looking at using non-government organisations and, where we can, Silver Chain to provide that. That will mean, for instance, that someone who is currently in hospital in Albany and has had an operation but does not need constant nursing care in an acute setting will be able to go home and have medical professionals call on him to provide care. That will free up a hospital bed for someone who needs acute care. It is as simple as that. I give this commitment: we will provide that funding to Albany. We are delighted with the growth in the non-hospital admission based care, the hospital in the home programs and the like, and the way in which some very good people in the Department of Health have aggressively pursued those programs over the past 12 months as part of the health reform program. I expect that that funding will be available to the country cities in the not too distant future.
Dr K.D. Hames : Will you do that through Silver Chain? Mr J.A. McGINTY : That is a very good option. We will certainly be looking at using non-government organisations and, where we can, Silver Chain to provide that. That will mean, for instance, that someone who is currently in hospital in Albany and has had an operation but does not need constant nursing care in an acute setting will be able to go home and have medical professionals call on him to provide care. That will free up a hospital bed for someone who needs acute care. It is as simple as that. I give this commitment: we will provide that funding to Albany. We are delighted with the growth in the non-hospital admission based care, the hospital in the home programs and the like, and the way in which some very good people in the Department of Health have aggressively pursued those programs over the past 12 months as part of the health reform program. I expect that that funding will be available to the country cities in the not too distant future.
Mr J.A. McGINTY : That is a very good option. We will certainly be looking at using non-government organisations and, where we can, Silver Chain to provide that. That will mean, for instance, that someone who is currently in hospital in Albany and has had an operation but does not need constant nursing care in an acute setting will be able to go home and have medical professionals call on him to provide care. That will free up a hospital bed for someone who needs acute care. It is as simple as that. I give this commitment: we will provide that funding to Albany. We are delighted with the growth in the non-hospital admission based care, the hospital in the home programs and the like, and the way in which some very good people in the Department of Health have aggressively pursued those programs over the past 12 months as part of the health reform program. I expect that that funding will be available to the country cities in the not too distant future.
(1) Will the minister detail the reasons that the state government offers funded support under its Healthy@Home programs - I refer to its hospital in the home, post-acute care and community-based chronic disease programs - to metropolitan patients only and not to those living in regional areas such as Albany? (2) Does the minister agree that if hospital in the home, post-acute care and community-based chronic disease programs were available in regional centres such as Albany, Silver Chain would not have felt obliged to provide post-acute care to patients not eligible for home and community care assistance? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(2) I thank the member for some notice of the question. Although the member for Stirling correctly quoted the member for Albany from an article that appeared in the Albany Advertiser , from memory the message he was conveying was that the Silver Chain service in that area had become a victim of its own success. It was certainly not a criticism of the Silver Chain organisation, which had taken it upon itself to provide a range of services beyond those for which it was funded. The point being made was that Silver Chain had done well in providing those services. The member for Albany has constantly been in my ear about the question of appropriate levels of funding for Silver Chain, particularly for the home and community care program services that are provided, particularly for those leaving hospital, to ensure that they are adequate. I am aware of the pressures that have been experienced in recent times, generally throughout the great southern and south west, although not exclusively in those areas, where there has been an enormous growth in demand. The funding provided to Silver Chain has risen by $18.9 million. That is an increase of 38 per cent since we came to government. The current level of funding provided to Silver Chain is $68.689 million a year. It is a significant investment. I take this opportunity to praise the work that Silver Chain does throughout the length and breadth of the state. I am sure that view is held by both sides of the house. The essence of the member’s question is: why is it that the Department of Health does not fund those ambulatory care services in cities such as Albany when it does so in the metropolitan area? There is a simple answer to that. As a result of the health reform program in which we are currently engaged, we have set about trying to reduce the dependence on hospital care - the hospital-centric approach to illness and health care in Western Australian - by actively and aggressively promoting the ambulatory care alternatives of chronic disease management, hospital in the home, and the Healthy@Home programs. That is the way we need to go for the future of sustainable health care delivery in Western Australia. We have aggressively started those in the biggest population centre in Western Australia. Once they have been embedded in the health care system and the health care consciousness, we will extend them to the major rural population centres of Albany, Bunbury, Kalgoorlie and Geraldton and to places in the state’s north. Dr K.D. Hames : Will you do that through Silver Chain? Mr J.A. McGINTY : That is a very good option. We will certainly be looking at using non-government organisations and, where we can, Silver Chain to provide that. That will mean, for instance, that someone who is currently in hospital in Albany and has had an operation but does not need constant nursing care in an acute setting will be able to go home and have medical professionals call on him to provide care. That will free up a hospital bed for someone who needs acute care. It is as simple as that. I give this commitment: we will provide that funding to Albany. We are delighted with the growth in the non-hospital admission based care, the hospital in the home programs and the like, and the way in which some very good people in the Department of Health have aggressively pursued those programs over the past 12 months as part of the health reform program. I expect that that funding will be available to the country cities in the not too distant future.
(2) Does the minister agree that if hospital in the home, post-acute care and community-based chronic disease programs were available in regional centres such as Albany, Silver Chain would not have felt obliged to provide post-acute care to patients not eligible for home and community care assistance? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(2) I thank the member for some notice of the question. Although the member for Stirling correctly quoted the member for Albany from an article that appeared in the Albany Advertiser , from memory the message he was conveying was that the Silver Chain service in that area had become a victim of its own success. It was certainly not a criticism of the Silver Chain organisation, which had taken it upon itself to provide a range of services beyond those for which it was funded. The point being made was that Silver Chain had done well in providing those services. The member for Albany has constantly been in my ear about the question of appropriate levels of funding for Silver Chain, particularly for the home and community care program services that are provided, particularly for those leaving hospital, to ensure that they are adequate. I am aware of the pressures that have been experienced in recent times, generally throughout the great southern and south west, although not exclusively in those areas, where there has been an enormous growth in demand. The funding provided to Silver Chain has risen by $18.9 million. That is an increase of 38 per cent since we came to government. The current level of funding provided to Silver Chain is $68.689 million a year. It is a significant investment. I take this opportunity to praise the work that Silver Chain does throughout the length and breadth of the state. I am sure that view is held by both sides of the house. The essence of the member’s question is: why is it that the Department of Health does not fund those ambulatory care services in cities such as Albany when it does so in the metropolitan area? There is a simple answer to that. As a result of the health reform program in which we are currently engaged, we have set about trying to reduce the dependence on hospital care - the hospital-centric approach to illness and health care in Western Australian - by actively and aggressively promoting the ambulatory care alternatives of chronic disease management, hospital in the home, and the Healthy@Home programs. That is the way we need to go for the future of sustainable health care delivery in Western Australia. We have aggressively started those in the biggest population centre in Western Australia. Once they have been embedded in the health care system and the health care consciousness, we will extend them to the major rural population centres of Albany, Bunbury, Kalgoorlie and Geraldton and to places in the state’s north. Dr K.D. Hames : Will you do that through Silver Chain? Mr J.A. McGINTY : That is a very good option. We will certainly be looking at using non-government organisations and, where we can, Silver Chain to provide that. That will mean, for instance, that someone who is currently in hospital in Albany and has had an operation but does not need constant nursing care in an acute setting will be able to go home and have medical professionals call on him to provide care. That will free up a hospital bed for someone who needs acute care. It is as simple as that. I give this commitment: we will provide that funding to Albany. We are delighted with the growth in the non-hospital admission based care, the hospital in the home programs and the like, and the way in which some very good people in the Department of Health have aggressively pursued those programs over the past 12 months as part of the health reform program. I expect that that funding will be available to the country cities in the not too distant future.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(2) I thank the member for some notice of the question. Although the member for Stirling correctly quoted the member for Albany from an article that appeared in the Albany Advertiser , from memory the message he was conveying was that the Silver Chain service in that area had become a victim of its own success. It was certainly not a criticism of the Silver Chain organisation, which had taken it upon itself to provide a range of services beyond those for which it was funded. The point being made was that Silver Chain had done well in providing those services. The member for Albany has constantly been in my ear about the question of appropriate levels of funding for Silver Chain, particularly for the home and community care program services that are provided, particularly for those leaving hospital, to ensure that they are adequate. I am aware of the pressures that have been experienced in recent times, generally throughout the great southern and south west, although not exclusively in those areas, where there has been an enormous growth in demand. The funding provided to Silver Chain has risen by $18.9 million. That is an increase of 38 per cent since we came to government. The current level of funding provided to Silver Chain is $68.689 million a year. It is a significant investment. I take this opportunity to praise the work that Silver Chain does throughout the length and breadth of the state. I am sure that view is held by both sides of the house. The essence of the member’s question is: why is it that the Department of Health does not fund those ambulatory care services in cities such as Albany when it does so in the metropolitan area? There is a simple answer to that. As a result of the health reform program in which we are currently engaged, we have set about trying to reduce the dependence on hospital care - the hospital-centric approach to illness and health care in Western Australian - by actively and aggressively promoting the ambulatory care alternatives of chronic disease management, hospital in the home, and the Healthy@Home programs. That is the way we need to go for the future of sustainable health care delivery in Western Australia. We have aggressively started those in the biggest population centre in Western Australia. Once they have been embedded in the health care system and the health care consciousness, we will extend them to the major rural population centres of Albany, Bunbury, Kalgoorlie and Geraldton and to places in the state’s north. Dr K.D. Hames : Will you do that through Silver Chain? Mr J.A. McGINTY : That is a very good option. We will certainly be looking at using non-government organisations and, where we can, Silver Chain to provide that. That will mean, for instance, that someone who is currently in hospital in Albany and has had an operation but does not need constant nursing care in an acute setting will be able to go home and have medical professionals call on him to provide care. That will free up a hospital bed for someone who needs acute care. It is as simple as that. I give this commitment: we will provide that funding to Albany. We are delighted with the growth in the non-hospital admission based care, the hospital in the home programs and the like, and the way in which some very good people in the Department of Health have aggressively pursued those programs over the past 12 months as part of the health reform program. I expect that that funding will be available to the country cities in the not too distant future.
(1)-(2) I thank the member for some notice of the question. Although the member for Stirling correctly quoted the member for Albany from an article that appeared in the Albany Advertiser , from memory the message he was conveying was that the Silver Chain service in that area had become a victim of its own success. It was certainly not a criticism of the Silver Chain organisation, which had taken it upon itself to provide a range of services beyond those for which it was funded. The point being made was that Silver Chain had done well in providing those services. The member for Albany has constantly been in my ear about the question of appropriate levels of funding for Silver Chain, particularly for the home and community care program services that are provided, particularly for those leaving hospital, to ensure that they are adequate. I am aware of the pressures that have been experienced in recent times, generally throughout the great southern and south west, although not exclusively in those areas, where there has been an enormous growth in demand. The funding provided to Silver Chain has risen by $18.9 million. That is an increase of 38 per cent since we came to government. The current level of funding provided to Silver Chain is $68.689 million a year. It is a significant investment. I take this opportunity to praise the work that Silver Chain does throughout the length and breadth of the state. I am sure that view is held by both sides of the house. The essence of the member’s question is: why is it that the Department of Health does not fund those ambulatory care services in cities such as Albany when it does so in the metropolitan area? There is a simple answer to that. As a result of the health reform program in which we are currently engaged, we have set about trying to reduce the dependence on hospital care - the hospital-centric approach to illness and health care in Western Australian - by actively and aggressively promoting the ambulatory care alternatives of chronic disease management, hospital in the home, and the Healthy@Home programs. That is the way we need to go for the future of sustainable health care delivery in Western Australia. We have aggressively started those in the biggest population centre in Western Australia. Once they have been embedded in the health care system and the health care consciousness, we will extend them to the major rural population centres of Albany, Bunbury, Kalgoorlie and Geraldton and to places in the state’s north. Dr K.D. Hames : Will you do that through Silver Chain? Mr J.A. McGINTY : That is a very good option. We will certainly be looking at using non-government organisations and, where we can, Silver Chain to provide that. That will mean, for instance, that someone who is currently in hospital in Albany and has had an operation but does not need constant nursing care in an acute setting will be able to go home and have medical professionals call on him to provide care. That will free up a hospital bed for someone who needs acute care. It is as simple as that. I give this commitment: we will provide that funding to Albany. We are delighted with the growth in the non-hospital admission based care, the hospital in the home programs and the like, and the way in which some very good people in the Department of Health have aggressively pursued those programs over the past 12 months as part of the health reform program. I expect that that funding will be available to the country cities in the not too distant future.
Dr K.D. Hames : Will you do that through Silver Chain? Mr J.A. McGINTY : That is a very good option. We will certainly be looking at using non-government organisations and, where we can, Silver Chain to provide that. That will mean, for instance, that someone who is currently in hospital in Albany and has had an operation but does not need constant nursing care in an acute setting will be able to go home and have medical professionals call on him to provide care. That will free up a hospital bed for someone who needs acute care. It is as simple as that. I give this commitment: we will provide that funding to Albany. We are delighted with the growth in the non-hospital admission based care, the hospital in the home programs and the like, and the way in which some very good people in the Department of Health have aggressively pursued those programs over the past 12 months as part of the health reform program. I expect that that funding will be available to the country cities in the not too distant future.
Mr J.A. McGINTY : That is a very good option. We will certainly be looking at using non-government organisations and, where we can, Silver Chain to provide that. That will mean, for instance, that someone who is currently in hospital in Albany and has had an operation but does not need constant nursing care in an acute setting will be able to go home and have medical professionals call on him to provide care. That will free up a hospital bed for someone who needs acute care. It is as simple as that. I give this commitment: we will provide that funding to Albany. We are delighted with the growth in the non-hospital admission based care, the hospital in the home programs and the like, and the way in which some very good people in the Department of Health have aggressively pursued those programs over the past 12 months as part of the health reform program. I expect that that funding will be available to the country cities in the not too distant future.
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Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.