❓ Ms. Hamilton asks about elective surgery waitlist figures in light of increased health budget and the flu season. The Minister responds positively, highlighting improvements in elective surgery performance and increased admissions, while acknowledging the need for further improvement.
AnsweredQoN 623Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH —
BUDGET
623. Ms E. HAMILTON to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's significant investment in our hospitals, including a $300 million
increase to the health budget since the last election. Can the minister update
the house on the latest elective surgery waitlist figures and what they show
about how our healthcare system has managed the unprecedented flu season?
BUDGET
623. Ms E. HAMILTON to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's significant investment in our hospitals, including a $300 million
increase to the health budget since the last election. Can the minister update
the house on the latest elective surgery waitlist figures and what they show
about how our healthcare system has managed the unprecedented flu season?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the
question. There is more good news from the Department of Health and more good
news from our hospitals, which are working day after day to put Western Australian
patients first and continuing to perform in an outstanding capacity. I am very
pleased to say that the McGowan government, by its careful management of the
budget, can invest an extra 2.8 per cent in the health budget for 2018–19,
and on average an extra three per cent year after year after year, continuing
to grow the hospitals' budgets to make sure that they can keep pace
with demand.
One area of demand is elective
surgery, making sure that our patients get pain-relieving surgery, often
life-saving surgery, when they need it and
where they live. I am very pleased to say that in July 2019, the percentage of
over- boundary patients—that is, those on the elective surgery
waitlist for longer than the clinically recommended time—was just 7.8 per
cent for reportable operation procedures. That means that over 90 per cent of
all patients receive elective surgery within the clinically recommended time.
In particular, I am very pleased to announce that for the 12-month period 2017
to 2018, there were 3 000 more admissions than in the previous 12-month period.
That means that in 2018–19, over 3 000 more operations took place than
was the case in the previous year. That is an example of a hospital system that
is becoming more efficient and more driven to put WA patients first. In
particular, that means that more patients are receiving the care that they need
when they need it. WA has the second best performing time of any state in this
nation—an average of a 39-day median waiting time for operations.
Second is not good enough. We will
do better. We aim to improve our elective surgery performance so that we can do
better than the best state, which is Victoria. We will continue to drive our
elective surgery process, because we want to make sure that we put patients
first. We want to make sure that we continue to provide an outstanding world-class health system. We know that WA already
has the best performing EDs in this country. We will continue to work to
make sure that we have the best elective surgery performance of any state as
well. The July 2019 elective surgery performance for reportable procedures is
the best recorded in the last two and a half years. The last best figures were
in May 2017. This shows that we are getting better. We can do better, and under
the McGowan Labor government we will do better. This is an outstanding result
for the doctors and nurses who are working on the front line to continue to
make Western Australia's health system world leading.
question. There is more good news from the Department of Health and more good
news from our hospitals, which are working day after day to put Western Australian
patients first and continuing to perform in an outstanding capacity. I am very
pleased to say that the McGowan government, by its careful management of the
budget, can invest an extra 2.8 per cent in the health budget for 2018–19,
and on average an extra three per cent year after year after year, continuing
to grow the hospitals' budgets to make sure that they can keep pace
with demand.
One area of demand is elective
surgery, making sure that our patients get pain-relieving surgery, often
life-saving surgery, when they need it and
where they live. I am very pleased to say that in July 2019, the percentage of
over- boundary patients—that is, those on the elective surgery
waitlist for longer than the clinically recommended time—was just 7.8 per
cent for reportable operation procedures. That means that over 90 per cent of
all patients receive elective surgery within the clinically recommended time.
In particular, I am very pleased to announce that for the 12-month period 2017
to 2018, there were 3 000 more admissions than in the previous 12-month period.
That means that in 2018–19, over 3 000 more operations took place than
was the case in the previous year. That is an example of a hospital system that
is becoming more efficient and more driven to put WA patients first. In
particular, that means that more patients are receiving the care that they need
when they need it. WA has the second best performing time of any state in this
nation—an average of a 39-day median waiting time for operations.
Second is not good enough. We will
do better. We aim to improve our elective surgery performance so that we can do
better than the best state, which is Victoria. We will continue to drive our
elective surgery process, because we want to make sure that we put patients
first. We want to make sure that we continue to provide an outstanding world-class health system. We know that WA already
has the best performing EDs in this country. We will continue to work to
make sure that we have the best elective surgery performance of any state as
well. The July 2019 elective surgery performance for reportable procedures is
the best recorded in the last two and a half years. The last best figures were
in May 2017. This shows that we are getting better. We can do better, and under
the McGowan Labor government we will do better. This is an outstanding result
for the doctors and nurses who are working on the front line to continue to
make Western Australia's health system world leading.
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