❓ Mr. Zempilas questions the Minister for Health regarding lead exceedances at Perth Children's Hospital, specifically around testing frequency, risk levels, and notification delays. The Minister responds by outlining testing protocols, remediation efforts, and new reporting requirements.
AnsweredQoN 386Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Perth Children's Hospital—Water testing386.Mr Basil Zempilasto
theMinister for Health:I refer to the
positive lead results at Perth Children's Hospital in 2023–24 and more
recently.(1) When was the latest round of testing
conducted?(2) What is the level at which the minister would consider
exceedences would present a risk to patients and staff?(3) Why were parents and staff not notified
promptly, on Friday 5 September, of the five further exceedences at Perth
Children's Hospital that the minister announced today?The Speaker:One of those questions asked the Minister
for Health for an opinion. If the minister would just like to disregard that in
her response.
theMinister for Health:I refer to the
positive lead results at Perth Children's Hospital in 2023–24 and more
recently.(1) When was the latest round of testing
conducted?(2) What is the level at which the minister would consider
exceedences would present a risk to patients and staff?(3) Why were parents and staff not notified
promptly, on Friday 5 September, of the five further exceedences at Perth
Children's Hospital that the minister announced today?The Speaker:One of those questions asked the Minister
for Health for an opinion. If the minister would just like to disregard that in
her response.
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
9 September 2025
Response time
0 days
Ms Meredith Hammat replied:Thank you very much,
Speaker.(1)–(3) Today I made a brief ministerial statement
about Perth Children's Hospital, acknowledging the concerns that might have
arisen from newspaper headlines last week, for patients, parents and staff at
that hospital. In making that statement, I made it clear that Perth Children's
Hospital has a rigorous water testingprogram in
place because of the well-documented issues with lead contamination when that
hospital wasconstructed. The Child and Adolescent Health Service
undertakes regular testing, and in every instance in which exceedences are identified,
those exceedences are remediated by the Child and Adolescent Health Service. As
I said in my statement, it was late on Friday afternoon that the Department of
Health advised my office that it learnt of five further exceedences from Perth
Children's Hospital in the latest round of testing, which was conducted in
August. The sites of those exceedences have been decommissioned while they
undergo remediation.I want to be clear, as I was in
the statement I made earlier today, that I have received advice from the Chief
Health Officer that there is no risk to the safety of patients and staff as a
result of those exceedences. It is important that testing takes place so that
we can identify exceedences when they occur and take steps to rectify them
immediately. But I acknowledge the concerns that arise for patients, parents
and staff. That is why I have issued a direction to the Director General of the
Department of Health to implement a requirement for health service providers to
regularly report the results of their water testing regimes to the department
and to immediately notify the Chief Health Officer in writing when there is an
exceedence of the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. As part of this
direction, the Chief Health Officer will be required to report monthly to the
director general on any exceedences of lead, Legionella or other pathogens
detected and how they have been rectified. I have been clear that any
exceedences that present a risk to patients or staff will be formally reported
to me, as minister, as a matter of urgency.
Perth Children's Hospital—Water testing
Speaker.(1)–(3) Today I made a brief ministerial statement
about Perth Children's Hospital, acknowledging the concerns that might have
arisen from newspaper headlines last week, for patients, parents and staff at
that hospital. In making that statement, I made it clear that Perth Children's
Hospital has a rigorous water testingprogram in
place because of the well-documented issues with lead contamination when that
hospital wasconstructed. The Child and Adolescent Health Service
undertakes regular testing, and in every instance in which exceedences are identified,
those exceedences are remediated by the Child and Adolescent Health Service. As
I said in my statement, it was late on Friday afternoon that the Department of
Health advised my office that it learnt of five further exceedences from Perth
Children's Hospital in the latest round of testing, which was conducted in
August. The sites of those exceedences have been decommissioned while they
undergo remediation.I want to be clear, as I was in
the statement I made earlier today, that I have received advice from the Chief
Health Officer that there is no risk to the safety of patients and staff as a
result of those exceedences. It is important that testing takes place so that
we can identify exceedences when they occur and take steps to rectify them
immediately. But I acknowledge the concerns that arise for patients, parents
and staff. That is why I have issued a direction to the Director General of the
Department of Health to implement a requirement for health service providers to
regularly report the results of their water testing regimes to the department
and to immediately notify the Chief Health Officer in writing when there is an
exceedence of the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. As part of this
direction, the Chief Health Officer will be required to report monthly to the
director general on any exceedences of lead, Legionella or other pathogens
detected and how they have been rectified. I have been clear that any
exceedences that present a risk to patients or staff will be formally reported
to me, as minister, as a matter of urgency.
Perth Children's Hospital—Water testing
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