❓ Opposition questions the government's ability to staff a satellite birthing facility at Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, given existing health system staffing issues. Minister defends the plan, citing existing services and criticising the opposition's disregard for clinicians outside the western suburbs.
AnsweredQoN 805Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
QUEEN ELIZABETH II
MEDICAL CENTRE — SATELLITE BIRTHING FACILITY
805. Ms L. METTAM to the Minister for Health:
I have a supplementary question.
How does the minister plan to staff this idea, given her government's
inability to address the multitude of staffing issues plaguing the health
system?
MEDICAL CENTRE — SATELLITE BIRTHING FACILITY
805. Ms L. METTAM to the Minister for Health:
I have a supplementary question.
How does the minister plan to staff this idea, given her government's
inability to address the multitude of staffing issues plaguing the health
system?
AnswerView source ↗
We staff our hospitals with expert
clinicians. Our clinicians work across 2.6 million square kilometres in Western
Australia. We deliver birthing services around the biggest health jurisdiction
in the world and the member is arguing about 18 kilometres. We deliver birthing
services around 2.6 million —
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please,
member for Vasse.
Ms A. SANDERSON : Currently,
women who give birth at King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women and become
critically ill are rushed to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. In fact, let me
highlight a letter from the head of the neonatal intensive care unit at Fiona
Stanley Hospital, whose opinions the member is summarily ignoring.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please.
Ms A. SANDERSON : The head of
the neonatology service at Fiona Stanley Hospital —
Ms L. Mettam : Oh—Fiona
Stanley.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please,
members.
Several members interjected.
Ms A. SANDERSON : Wow!
The SPEAKER : All members,
that is unacceptable. It is also unacceptable for the member for Vasse to still
be talking. Member for Vasse, when you constantly interject like that, it provokes
the response that we get. It is a supplementary question. You are entitled to
ask that supplementary question. I would like to get the answer to that, but we
cannot have every third or fourth word of the minister interrupted with a comment.
Ms A. SANDERSON : It is clear
that the Leader of the Liberal Party has a total disregard for clinicians who
do not live and work in the western suburbs. That is absolutely clear and on
the record in the parliamentary Hansard . The majority of clinicians and healthcare
workers live and work outside Nedlands and Subiaco, and that is where the
majority of health care is delivered. The Leader of the Liberal Party cannot
disregard the views of all clinicians, and it is clear that she is only
listening to a group.
Ms L. Mettam : We are talking
about the high-risk units.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ms A. SANDERSON : Let us
address that in this letter. I have so much correspondence from clinicians. I have
met with clinicians. I have received letters from clinicians. My office has
received letters from clinicians who are deeply distressed at the position that
the Leader of the Liberal Party has taken because she is not listening to
everyone's views. Anyone who says that there is a uniform position on
this issue is deliberately misleading because there is not. I quote from a very
highly esteemed and very experienced neonatal intensive care physician —
Time and again, we have been told
that babies will die if we don't have a NICU close to PCH. It is time
we convey the truth. For years, critically ill babies from far off places have
been shifted safely to KEM and PCH.
There is no reason —
� why this would not be the case � in
future.
Further —
For years, KEMH has been delivering
some women's pregnancies electively at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital �
mostly for maternal reasons. There is no reason why the handful time critical
cases diagnosed antenatally, cannot be
delivered at SCGH (as has been the practice � at KEMH), and shifted quickly to PCH
NICU. The most appropriate model for delivering the handful antenatally
diagnosed true time critical cases at SCGH can be decided by joint discussions
between the feto-maternal, neonatal, and NETS WA team.
This is done now, and the Leader of
the Liberal Party is calling it a thought bubble.
Dr J. Krishnan : Madam Speaker
—
Ms L. Mettam : The minister is
reading —
The
SPEAKER : Sorry; the member for
Vasse has not been given the call yet. I am going to give her the call. Pause ,
please, member for Riverton.
Tabling of Paper
Ms L. METTAM : Madam Speaker,
the minister appears to be reading from an official document. I ask that she
table it this time.
The SPEAKER : I have been able
to see the document from here. It has highlights and notes on it, so it is not
an official document.
Ms L. Mettam : Not again.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Sorry? If you
would like to remain in this chamber, you will not question the chair's
ruling.
A member interjected.
The SPEAKER : As will the
person who made that comment.
clinicians. Our clinicians work across 2.6 million square kilometres in Western
Australia. We deliver birthing services around the biggest health jurisdiction
in the world and the member is arguing about 18 kilometres. We deliver birthing
services around 2.6 million —
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please,
member for Vasse.
Ms A. SANDERSON : Currently,
women who give birth at King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women and become
critically ill are rushed to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. In fact, let me
highlight a letter from the head of the neonatal intensive care unit at Fiona
Stanley Hospital, whose opinions the member is summarily ignoring.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please.
Ms A. SANDERSON : The head of
the neonatology service at Fiona Stanley Hospital —
Ms L. Mettam : Oh—Fiona
Stanley.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please,
members.
Several members interjected.
Ms A. SANDERSON : Wow!
The SPEAKER : All members,
that is unacceptable. It is also unacceptable for the member for Vasse to still
be talking. Member for Vasse, when you constantly interject like that, it provokes
the response that we get. It is a supplementary question. You are entitled to
ask that supplementary question. I would like to get the answer to that, but we
cannot have every third or fourth word of the minister interrupted with a comment.
Ms A. SANDERSON : It is clear
that the Leader of the Liberal Party has a total disregard for clinicians who
do not live and work in the western suburbs. That is absolutely clear and on
the record in the parliamentary Hansard . The majority of clinicians and healthcare
workers live and work outside Nedlands and Subiaco, and that is where the
majority of health care is delivered. The Leader of the Liberal Party cannot
disregard the views of all clinicians, and it is clear that she is only
listening to a group.
Ms L. Mettam : We are talking
about the high-risk units.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ms A. SANDERSON : Let us
address that in this letter. I have so much correspondence from clinicians. I have
met with clinicians. I have received letters from clinicians. My office has
received letters from clinicians who are deeply distressed at the position that
the Leader of the Liberal Party has taken because she is not listening to
everyone's views. Anyone who says that there is a uniform position on
this issue is deliberately misleading because there is not. I quote from a very
highly esteemed and very experienced neonatal intensive care physician —
Time and again, we have been told
that babies will die if we don't have a NICU close to PCH. It is time
we convey the truth. For years, critically ill babies from far off places have
been shifted safely to KEM and PCH.
There is no reason —
� why this would not be the case � in
future.
Further —
For years, KEMH has been delivering
some women's pregnancies electively at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital �
mostly for maternal reasons. There is no reason why the handful time critical
cases diagnosed antenatally, cannot be
delivered at SCGH (as has been the practice � at KEMH), and shifted quickly to PCH
NICU. The most appropriate model for delivering the handful antenatally
diagnosed true time critical cases at SCGH can be decided by joint discussions
between the feto-maternal, neonatal, and NETS WA team.
This is done now, and the Leader of
the Liberal Party is calling it a thought bubble.
Dr J. Krishnan : Madam Speaker
—
Ms L. Mettam : The minister is
reading —
The
SPEAKER : Sorry; the member for
Vasse has not been given the call yet. I am going to give her the call. Pause ,
please, member for Riverton.
Tabling of Paper
Ms L. METTAM : Madam Speaker,
the minister appears to be reading from an official document. I ask that she
table it this time.
The SPEAKER : I have been able
to see the document from here. It has highlights and notes on it, so it is not
an official document.
Ms L. Mettam : Not again.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Sorry? If you
would like to remain in this chamber, you will not question the chair's
ruling.
A member interjected.
The SPEAKER : As will the
person who made that comment.
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