❓ A WA parliamentary question on notice regarding the Laverton Hospital, covering doctor availability, emergency services, building condition, and funding. The response provides data on service usage, staffing, and costs, revealing challenges in doctor availability and reliance on telehealth.
AnsweredQoN 1864Legislative Council
Asked
12 February 2019
Member
Portfolio
Deputy Premier; Minister for Health; Mental Health
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Laverton Hospital, and I ask with respect to the 2017 and 2018 calendar years: (a) on how many occasions and for what length of time was a medical doctor not available to provide service to the hospital; (b) how are medical services procured in Laverton for the provision of medical doctors at the hospital; (c) for each month in the above mentioned two year period, please provide the number of presentations to the emergency department and the relevant Australian triage score (ATS); (d) for each month in the above mentioned two year period, please identify the number of occasions that Emergency Telehealth Service (ETS) has been activated for Laverton Hospital; (e) when was ETS first commissioned at the Laverton Hospital; (f) for the above mentioned two year period, has there been any critical incidents at the hospital and, if so, please identify the date on which each occurred; (g) what medical services are provided at the Laverton Hospital and has that changed in any material way during the above mentioned two year period; (h) when was the last Building Condition Audit (BCA) conducted on the Laverton Hospital; (i) please table a copy of the audit report; (j) what is the status of the State Government’s consideration to replace the existing Laverton Hospital; (k) is a business case being prepared, or has one been prepared, for the hospital replacement and, if so, on what date was the business case commenced and finalised; (l) what is the annual (financial year) operating cost of the Laverton Hospital; (m) how many persons are employed or engaged by the hospital by full time equivalent (FTE) and head count; (n) of those identified in (m) please identify the positions held; and (o) I refer to the Minister for Regional Development’s view that local mining companies should pay for the hospital upgrade, is that a view which the Minister agrees with and how many companies have committed to such funding?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
19 March 2019
Responded by
Parliamentary Secretary representing the Deputy Premier; Minister for Health; Mental Health
Response time
9 days
I am advised:
(a) From 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2017, there were 75 days where a doctor was not present in Laverton. The private General Practitioner (GP) service provided an on call doctor service to nurses via the telephone.
From 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2018, there were 82 days where a doctor was not present in Laverton. The private General Practitioner (GP) service provided an on call doctor service to nurses via the telephone.
There were 14 consecutive days where there was no doctor available in person in Laverton throughout this time period; however the private GP was contactable by phone. Throughout this time period the Emergency Telehealth Service (ETS) was available during ETS operational hours,
(b) When a private GP commences work in the Laverton Community, if they meet credentialing requirements of WA Country Health Service (WACHS) Goldfields to deliver medical services within the Laverton Hospital, then the hospital can contract them for emergency, inpatient and outpatient services.
(c) Please refer to Table 1.
Table 1*:
Month/Year
Triage
Total
1
2
3
4
5
January 2017
2
11
23
35
80
151
February 2017
0
4
21
49
52
126
March 2017
0
8
16
40
58
121
April 2017
1
10
22
25
44
101
May 2017
0
10
26
46
34
115
June 2017
1
10
33
61
41
146
July 2017
0
5
31
92
39
167
August 2017
0
3
25
53
22
103
September 2017
1
2
23
60
55
141
October 2017
2
9
35
65
52
163
November 2017
1
12
22
68
37
140
December 2017
3
6
17
69
53
148
January 2018
1
10
13
63
57
144
February 2018
0
7
20
34
28
89
March 2018
0
3
20
63
27
113
April 2018
0
6
10
43
48
107
May 2018
0
5
19
64
48
136
June 2018
0
4
12
44
28
88
July 2018
0
1
25
60
39
125
August 2018
1
1
9
73
30
114
September 2018
1
10
16
57
16
100
October 2018
0
6
30
72
33
141
November 2018
0
10
25
41
36
112
December 2018
0
16
40
78
60
194
* Source: Department of Health, Purchasing and System Performance Division
(d) Please refer to Table 2.
Table 2:
Month
2017
2018
January
4
17
February
4
25
March
7
21
April
8
19
May
8
18
June
10
7
July
10
17
August
5
12
September
9
16
October
7
12
November
22
20
December
25
33
(e) 18 January 2014.
(f) Please refer to Table 3 for Clinical incidents reported, according to severity assessment criteria.
Table 3:
Severity Assessment Code (SAC) Events 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2018
Confirmed SAC
Incident Date
Incident Classification Tier 1
SAC 1
3 October 2018
Therapeutic Process :
Misdiagnosis
SAC 2
6 September 2018
Diagnostic Process :
Delayed Assessment
SAC 2
10 October 2018
Diagnostic Process :
Insufficient Monitoring
SAC 3
29 October 2018
Behaviour :
Absconded
SAC 3
4 November 2018
Therapeutic Process :
Insufficient Response to significant change in patient status
(g) There has been no change to the following medical services provided at Laverton Hospital for the two year period between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2018:
(h) A Building Condition Audit report was completed in 2013 as part of the planning for Business Case development.
(i) Please see tabled paper no.
(j) – (k) WACHS has finalised the development of a revised business case for the Laverton Health Service, for consideration by Government as part of the 2019/20 Budget process.
(l) Please refer to Table 4.
Table 4:
FY 2017
FY 2018
Operating Costs
$2,585,712
$2,575,432
(m) Please refer to Table 5.
Table 5:
2017
2018
FTE
16.5
15.8
Headcount
65
46
(n) Please refer to Table 6.
Table 6:
2017
2018
Position
FTE
Head Count
FTE
Head Count
Nursing
9.9
40
8.9
30
Admin/Clerical
2.1
7
2.2
7
Support Services
4.5
18
4.7
9
Total
16.5
65
15.8
46
(o) WACHS is not aware of any mining companies who have committed to any funding.
(a) From 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2017, there were 75 days where a doctor was not present in Laverton. The private General Practitioner (GP) service provided an on call doctor service to nurses via the telephone.
From 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2018, there were 82 days where a doctor was not present in Laverton. The private General Practitioner (GP) service provided an on call doctor service to nurses via the telephone.
There were 14 consecutive days where there was no doctor available in person in Laverton throughout this time period; however the private GP was contactable by phone. Throughout this time period the Emergency Telehealth Service (ETS) was available during ETS operational hours,
(b) When a private GP commences work in the Laverton Community, if they meet credentialing requirements of WA Country Health Service (WACHS) Goldfields to deliver medical services within the Laverton Hospital, then the hospital can contract them for emergency, inpatient and outpatient services.
(c) Please refer to Table 1.
Table 1*:
Month/Year
Triage
Total
1
2
3
4
5
January 2017
2
11
23
35
80
151
February 2017
0
4
21
49
52
126
March 2017
0
8
16
40
58
121
April 2017
1
10
22
25
44
101
May 2017
0
10
26
46
34
115
June 2017
1
10
33
61
41
146
July 2017
0
5
31
92
39
167
August 2017
0
3
25
53
22
103
September 2017
1
2
23
60
55
141
October 2017
2
9
35
65
52
163
November 2017
1
12
22
68
37
140
December 2017
3
6
17
69
53
148
January 2018
1
10
13
63
57
144
February 2018
0
7
20
34
28
89
March 2018
0
3
20
63
27
113
April 2018
0
6
10
43
48
107
May 2018
0
5
19
64
48
136
June 2018
0
4
12
44
28
88
July 2018
0
1
25
60
39
125
August 2018
1
1
9
73
30
114
September 2018
1
10
16
57
16
100
October 2018
0
6
30
72
33
141
November 2018
0
10
25
41
36
112
December 2018
0
16
40
78
60
194
* Source: Department of Health, Purchasing and System Performance Division
(d) Please refer to Table 2.
Table 2:
Month
2017
2018
January
4
17
February
4
25
March
7
21
April
8
19
May
8
18
June
10
7
July
10
17
August
5
12
September
9
16
October
7
12
November
22
20
December
25
33
(e) 18 January 2014.
(f) Please refer to Table 3 for Clinical incidents reported, according to severity assessment criteria.
Table 3:
Severity Assessment Code (SAC) Events 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2018
Confirmed SAC
Incident Date
Incident Classification Tier 1
SAC 1
3 October 2018
Therapeutic Process :
Misdiagnosis
SAC 2
6 September 2018
Diagnostic Process :
Delayed Assessment
SAC 2
10 October 2018
Diagnostic Process :
Insufficient Monitoring
SAC 3
29 October 2018
Behaviour :
Absconded
SAC 3
4 November 2018
Therapeutic Process :
Insufficient Response to significant change in patient status
(g) There has been no change to the following medical services provided at Laverton Hospital for the two year period between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2018:
(h) A Building Condition Audit report was completed in 2013 as part of the planning for Business Case development.
(i) Please see tabled paper no.
(j) – (k) WACHS has finalised the development of a revised business case for the Laverton Health Service, for consideration by Government as part of the 2019/20 Budget process.
(l) Please refer to Table 4.
Table 4:
FY 2017
FY 2018
Operating Costs
$2,585,712
$2,575,432
(m) Please refer to Table 5.
Table 5:
2017
2018
FTE
16.5
15.8
Headcount
65
46
(n) Please refer to Table 6.
Table 6:
2017
2018
Position
FTE
Head Count
FTE
Head Count
Nursing
9.9
40
8.9
30
Admin/Clerical
2.1
7
2.2
7
Support Services
4.5
18
4.7
9
Total
16.5
65
15.8
46
(o) WACHS is not aware of any mining companies who have committed to any funding.
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