❓ Ms Davies questions the Minister for Health about minimum hour requirements for nurses returning from retirement or maternity leave at King Edward Memorial Hospital. The Minister defends the government's investment in the health system and accuses the opposition of ignorance.
AnsweredQoN 431Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
KING EDWARD MEMORIAL HOSPITAL FOR WOMEN — STAFF
431. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Minister for Health:
I have a supplementary question.
Why is the minister making it so difficult for public hospitals to recruit
nurses coming back from retirement or maternity leave by demanding that they
work a minimum number of hours? Surely any
nurse wanting to come back into the system should be given the flexibility to
do as many or as few hours as possible.
431. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Minister for Health:
I have a supplementary question.
Why is the minister making it so difficult for public hospitals to recruit
nurses coming back from retirement or maternity leave by demanding that they
work a minimum number of hours? Surely any
nurse wanting to come back into the system should be given the flexibility to
do as many or as few hours as possible.
AnswerView source ↗
We
are providing refresher courses and paid work experience to go along with those
refresher courses as part of our program to bring people back into the
workplace. As members saw in The West Australian today, there is a nurse shortage everywhere. That is why we
announced our package last week. It is extraordinary that the member continues to overlook the fact that we are investing $1.9 billion into our hospital
system.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please,
members!
Mr R.H. COOK : This sort of
concocted ignorance from the other side is now becoming the hallmark of this
opposition.
Mr R.S. Love : Are you
calling the nurses ignorant, minister?
Mr R.H. COOK : No, I am specifically
calling you ignorant, member.
We are investing more in our health system than ever before,
making sure that we can continue to provide the resources that the health system needs to care for the patients that we
put first. What we have seen from those opposite is this concocted ignorance of
the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the impacts of closed international
borders —
Mr R.S. Love : Concocted
excuses.
Mr R.H. COOK : It is so easy
for the member for Moore.
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
Mr R.H. COOK : Why are you so
grumpy today? I think the member for Moore is getting dehydrated—a
little bit grumpy. I think he is having a bad day from a long night.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please,
members.
Mr R.H. COOK : We will
continue to put significant investment into our hospital system, support our
staff and, above all, make sure that the doctors and nurses at King Edward
Memorial Hospital will soon have a brand new world-class hospital. That, my
friends, is more than you will ever be able to do.
are providing refresher courses and paid work experience to go along with those
refresher courses as part of our program to bring people back into the
workplace. As members saw in The West Australian today, there is a nurse shortage everywhere. That is why we
announced our package last week. It is extraordinary that the member continues to overlook the fact that we are investing $1.9 billion into our hospital
system.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please,
members!
Mr R.H. COOK : This sort of
concocted ignorance from the other side is now becoming the hallmark of this
opposition.
Mr R.S. Love : Are you
calling the nurses ignorant, minister?
Mr R.H. COOK : No, I am specifically
calling you ignorant, member.
We are investing more in our health system than ever before,
making sure that we can continue to provide the resources that the health system needs to care for the patients that we
put first. What we have seen from those opposite is this concocted ignorance of
the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the impacts of closed international
borders —
Mr R.S. Love : Concocted
excuses.
Mr R.H. COOK : It is so easy
for the member for Moore.
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
Mr R.H. COOK : Why are you so
grumpy today? I think the member for Moore is getting dehydrated—a
little bit grumpy. I think he is having a bad day from a long night.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please,
members.
Mr R.H. COOK : We will
continue to put significant investment into our hospital system, support our
staff and, above all, make sure that the doctors and nurses at King Edward
Memorial Hospital will soon have a brand new world-class hospital. That, my
friends, is more than you will ever be able to do.
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