❓ A parliamentary question on ambulance ramping and elective surgery waitlists elicits a defensive response from the Minister for Health, who defends the government's record and compares the situation to a sports team facing challenges.
AnsweredQoN 59Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
AMBULANCE RAMPING — ELECTIVE SURGERY WAITLIST
Since Parliament sat last year, we have had report after report that ambulance ramping remains at an all-time high and that elective surgery waiting lists are the longest since this government came to office. (1) Why has the minister failed in these two important areas in the health system? (2) Will the minister give an undertaking to return ramping and surgery waiting lists to at least the level of 2008 when he came to office? (3) Will the minister resign if he fails to reach those targets? Dr K.D. HAMES
Since Parliament sat last year, we have had report after report that ambulance ramping remains at an all-time high and that elective surgery waiting lists are the longest since this government came to office. (1) Why has the minister failed in these two important areas in the health system? (2) Will the minister give an undertaking to return ramping and surgery waiting lists to at least the level of 2008 when he came to office? (3) Will the minister resign if he fails to reach those targets? Dr K.D. HAMES
AnswerView source ↗
The member for Kwinana would like to see me resign, I am sure! Mr E.S. Ripper : On reflection, we would like to see you stay. Dr K.D. HAMES : The Leader of the Opposition says that now! (1)–(3) I have just come back from the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference in Hobart, which I chaired. The Western Australian health system is very highly regarded by all the other states and territories, particularly our four-hour rule. Despite the Deputy Leader of the Opposition calling for me to be sacked the other day — Mr R.H. Cook : Because you failed at that, too! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a bit like the Dockers saying it will set a target—no, I will use West Coast as an example, because they got the wooden spoon! It is like West Coast saying that it is their target to win 95 per cent of their games this year; however, when West Coast comes to the end of the year and they play in the grand final and they have won only 85 per cent of their games, this mob opposite would say that West Coast failed and the coach should be sacked! I can tell members opposite that not only is Western Australia extremely well regarded in other states and territories, but every other state and territory in Australia is also copying our four-hour rule. Mr R.H. Cook : They are copying the UK four-hour rule, just like you did! It was not your idea. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, they are not! I will tell the member for Kwinana what happened with the UK four-hour rule. This government set a very high and difficult target, and I hope that West Coast does the same this year! But there are some clear differences between Western Australia and the United Kingdom. Firstly, the people in the United Kingdom fully employ all their consultants, which we do not. Secondly, since the new government has come into office, it has pulled away from the 98 per cent, because — Mr R.H. Cook : I have a point of order, Mr Speaker. Dr K.D. HAMES : This is my answer, not yours. Point of Order Mr R.H. COOK : The question is clearly about ambulance ramping and elective surgery. The SPEAKER : There is no point of order if that is all the member is talking about. Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
(1) Why has the minister failed in these two important areas in the health system? (2) Will the minister give an undertaking to return ramping and surgery waiting lists to at least the level of 2008 when he came to office? (3) Will the minister resign if he fails to reach those targets? Dr K.D. HAMES replied: The member for Kwinana would like to see me resign, I am sure! Mr E.S. Ripper : On reflection, we would like to see you stay. Dr K.D. HAMES : The Leader of the Opposition says that now! (1)–(3) I have just come back from the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference in Hobart, which I chaired. The Western Australian health system is very highly regarded by all the other states and territories, particularly our four-hour rule. Despite the Deputy Leader of the Opposition calling for me to be sacked the other day — Mr R.H. Cook : Because you failed at that, too! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a bit like the Dockers saying it will set a target—no, I will use West Coast as an example, because they got the wooden spoon! It is like West Coast saying that it is their target to win 95 per cent of their games this year; however, when West Coast comes to the end of the year and they play in the grand final and they have won only 85 per cent of their games, this mob opposite would say that West Coast failed and the coach should be sacked! I can tell members opposite that not only is Western Australia extremely well regarded in other states and territories, but every other state and territory in Australia is also copying our four-hour rule. Mr R.H. Cook : They are copying the UK four-hour rule, just like you did! It was not your idea. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, they are not! I will tell the member for Kwinana what happened with the UK four-hour rule. This government set a very high and difficult target, and I hope that West Coast does the same this year! But there are some clear differences between Western Australia and the United Kingdom. Firstly, the people in the United Kingdom fully employ all their consultants, which we do not. Secondly, since the new government has come into office, it has pulled away from the 98 per cent, because — Mr R.H. Cook : I have a point of order, Mr Speaker. Dr K.D. HAMES : This is my answer, not yours. Point of Order Mr R.H. COOK : The question is clearly about ambulance ramping and elective surgery. The SPEAKER : There is no point of order if that is all the member is talking about. Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
(2) Will the minister give an undertaking to return ramping and surgery waiting lists to at least the level of 2008 when he came to office? (3) Will the minister resign if he fails to reach those targets? Dr K.D. HAMES replied: The member for Kwinana would like to see me resign, I am sure! Mr E.S. Ripper : On reflection, we would like to see you stay. Dr K.D. HAMES : The Leader of the Opposition says that now! (1)–(3) I have just come back from the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference in Hobart, which I chaired. The Western Australian health system is very highly regarded by all the other states and territories, particularly our four-hour rule. Despite the Deputy Leader of the Opposition calling for me to be sacked the other day — Mr R.H. Cook : Because you failed at that, too! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a bit like the Dockers saying it will set a target—no, I will use West Coast as an example, because they got the wooden spoon! It is like West Coast saying that it is their target to win 95 per cent of their games this year; however, when West Coast comes to the end of the year and they play in the grand final and they have won only 85 per cent of their games, this mob opposite would say that West Coast failed and the coach should be sacked! I can tell members opposite that not only is Western Australia extremely well regarded in other states and territories, but every other state and territory in Australia is also copying our four-hour rule. Mr R.H. Cook : They are copying the UK four-hour rule, just like you did! It was not your idea. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, they are not! I will tell the member for Kwinana what happened with the UK four-hour rule. This government set a very high and difficult target, and I hope that West Coast does the same this year! But there are some clear differences between Western Australia and the United Kingdom. Firstly, the people in the United Kingdom fully employ all their consultants, which we do not. Secondly, since the new government has come into office, it has pulled away from the 98 per cent, because — Mr R.H. Cook : I have a point of order, Mr Speaker. Dr K.D. HAMES : This is my answer, not yours. Point of Order Mr R.H. COOK : The question is clearly about ambulance ramping and elective surgery. The SPEAKER : There is no point of order if that is all the member is talking about. Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
(3) Will the minister resign if he fails to reach those targets? Dr K.D. HAMES replied: The member for Kwinana would like to see me resign, I am sure! Mr E.S. Ripper : On reflection, we would like to see you stay. Dr K.D. HAMES : The Leader of the Opposition says that now! (1)–(3) I have just come back from the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference in Hobart, which I chaired. The Western Australian health system is very highly regarded by all the other states and territories, particularly our four-hour rule. Despite the Deputy Leader of the Opposition calling for me to be sacked the other day — Mr R.H. Cook : Because you failed at that, too! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a bit like the Dockers saying it will set a target—no, I will use West Coast as an example, because they got the wooden spoon! It is like West Coast saying that it is their target to win 95 per cent of their games this year; however, when West Coast comes to the end of the year and they play in the grand final and they have won only 85 per cent of their games, this mob opposite would say that West Coast failed and the coach should be sacked! I can tell members opposite that not only is Western Australia extremely well regarded in other states and territories, but every other state and territory in Australia is also copying our four-hour rule. Mr R.H. Cook : They are copying the UK four-hour rule, just like you did! It was not your idea. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, they are not! I will tell the member for Kwinana what happened with the UK four-hour rule. This government set a very high and difficult target, and I hope that West Coast does the same this year! But there are some clear differences between Western Australia and the United Kingdom. Firstly, the people in the United Kingdom fully employ all their consultants, which we do not. Secondly, since the new government has come into office, it has pulled away from the 98 per cent, because — Mr R.H. Cook : I have a point of order, Mr Speaker. Dr K.D. HAMES : This is my answer, not yours. Point of Order Mr R.H. COOK : The question is clearly about ambulance ramping and elective surgery. The SPEAKER : There is no point of order if that is all the member is talking about. Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Dr K.D. HAMES replied: The member for Kwinana would like to see me resign, I am sure! Mr E.S. Ripper : On reflection, we would like to see you stay. Dr K.D. HAMES : The Leader of the Opposition says that now! (1)–(3) I have just come back from the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference in Hobart, which I chaired. The Western Australian health system is very highly regarded by all the other states and territories, particularly our four-hour rule. Despite the Deputy Leader of the Opposition calling for me to be sacked the other day — Mr R.H. Cook : Because you failed at that, too! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a bit like the Dockers saying it will set a target—no, I will use West Coast as an example, because they got the wooden spoon! It is like West Coast saying that it is their target to win 95 per cent of their games this year; however, when West Coast comes to the end of the year and they play in the grand final and they have won only 85 per cent of their games, this mob opposite would say that West Coast failed and the coach should be sacked! I can tell members opposite that not only is Western Australia extremely well regarded in other states and territories, but every other state and territory in Australia is also copying our four-hour rule. Mr R.H. Cook : They are copying the UK four-hour rule, just like you did! It was not your idea. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, they are not! I will tell the member for Kwinana what happened with the UK four-hour rule. This government set a very high and difficult target, and I hope that West Coast does the same this year! But there are some clear differences between Western Australia and the United Kingdom. Firstly, the people in the United Kingdom fully employ all their consultants, which we do not. Secondly, since the new government has come into office, it has pulled away from the 98 per cent, because — Mr R.H. Cook : I have a point of order, Mr Speaker. Dr K.D. HAMES : This is my answer, not yours. Point of Order Mr R.H. COOK : The question is clearly about ambulance ramping and elective surgery. The SPEAKER : There is no point of order if that is all the member is talking about. Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
The member for Kwinana would like to see me resign, I am sure! Mr E.S. Ripper : On reflection, we would like to see you stay. Dr K.D. HAMES : The Leader of the Opposition says that now! (1)–(3) I have just come back from the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference in Hobart, which I chaired. The Western Australian health system is very highly regarded by all the other states and territories, particularly our four-hour rule. Despite the Deputy Leader of the Opposition calling for me to be sacked the other day — Mr R.H. Cook : Because you failed at that, too! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a bit like the Dockers saying it will set a target—no, I will use West Coast as an example, because they got the wooden spoon! It is like West Coast saying that it is their target to win 95 per cent of their games this year; however, when West Coast comes to the end of the year and they play in the grand final and they have won only 85 per cent of their games, this mob opposite would say that West Coast failed and the coach should be sacked! I can tell members opposite that not only is Western Australia extremely well regarded in other states and territories, but every other state and territory in Australia is also copying our four-hour rule. Mr R.H. Cook : They are copying the UK four-hour rule, just like you did! It was not your idea. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, they are not! I will tell the member for Kwinana what happened with the UK four-hour rule. This government set a very high and difficult target, and I hope that West Coast does the same this year! But there are some clear differences between Western Australia and the United Kingdom. Firstly, the people in the United Kingdom fully employ all their consultants, which we do not. Secondly, since the new government has come into office, it has pulled away from the 98 per cent, because — Mr R.H. Cook : I have a point of order, Mr Speaker. Dr K.D. HAMES : This is my answer, not yours. Point of Order Mr R.H. COOK : The question is clearly about ambulance ramping and elective surgery. The SPEAKER : There is no point of order if that is all the member is talking about. Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Mr E.S. Ripper : On reflection, we would like to see you stay. Dr K.D. HAMES : The Leader of the Opposition says that now! (1)–(3) I have just come back from the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference in Hobart, which I chaired. The Western Australian health system is very highly regarded by all the other states and territories, particularly our four-hour rule. Despite the Deputy Leader of the Opposition calling for me to be sacked the other day — Mr R.H. Cook : Because you failed at that, too! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a bit like the Dockers saying it will set a target—no, I will use West Coast as an example, because they got the wooden spoon! It is like West Coast saying that it is their target to win 95 per cent of their games this year; however, when West Coast comes to the end of the year and they play in the grand final and they have won only 85 per cent of their games, this mob opposite would say that West Coast failed and the coach should be sacked! I can tell members opposite that not only is Western Australia extremely well regarded in other states and territories, but every other state and territory in Australia is also copying our four-hour rule. Mr R.H. Cook : They are copying the UK four-hour rule, just like you did! It was not your idea. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, they are not! I will tell the member for Kwinana what happened with the UK four-hour rule. This government set a very high and difficult target, and I hope that West Coast does the same this year! But there are some clear differences between Western Australia and the United Kingdom. Firstly, the people in the United Kingdom fully employ all their consultants, which we do not. Secondly, since the new government has come into office, it has pulled away from the 98 per cent, because — Mr R.H. Cook : I have a point of order, Mr Speaker. Dr K.D. HAMES : This is my answer, not yours. Point of Order Mr R.H. COOK : The question is clearly about ambulance ramping and elective surgery. The SPEAKER : There is no point of order if that is all the member is talking about. Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Dr K.D. HAMES : The Leader of the Opposition says that now! (1)–(3) I have just come back from the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference in Hobart, which I chaired. The Western Australian health system is very highly regarded by all the other states and territories, particularly our four-hour rule. Despite the Deputy Leader of the Opposition calling for me to be sacked the other day — Mr R.H. Cook : Because you failed at that, too! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a bit like the Dockers saying it will set a target—no, I will use West Coast as an example, because they got the wooden spoon! It is like West Coast saying that it is their target to win 95 per cent of their games this year; however, when West Coast comes to the end of the year and they play in the grand final and they have won only 85 per cent of their games, this mob opposite would say that West Coast failed and the coach should be sacked! I can tell members opposite that not only is Western Australia extremely well regarded in other states and territories, but every other state and territory in Australia is also copying our four-hour rule. Mr R.H. Cook : They are copying the UK four-hour rule, just like you did! It was not your idea. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, they are not! I will tell the member for Kwinana what happened with the UK four-hour rule. This government set a very high and difficult target, and I hope that West Coast does the same this year! But there are some clear differences between Western Australia and the United Kingdom. Firstly, the people in the United Kingdom fully employ all their consultants, which we do not. Secondly, since the new government has come into office, it has pulled away from the 98 per cent, because — Mr R.H. Cook : I have a point of order, Mr Speaker. Dr K.D. HAMES : This is my answer, not yours. Point of Order Mr R.H. COOK : The question is clearly about ambulance ramping and elective surgery. The SPEAKER : There is no point of order if that is all the member is talking about. Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
(1)–(3) I have just come back from the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference in Hobart, which I chaired. The Western Australian health system is very highly regarded by all the other states and territories, particularly our four-hour rule. Despite the Deputy Leader of the Opposition calling for me to be sacked the other day — Mr R.H. Cook : Because you failed at that, too! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a bit like the Dockers saying it will set a target—no, I will use West Coast as an example, because they got the wooden spoon! It is like West Coast saying that it is their target to win 95 per cent of their games this year; however, when West Coast comes to the end of the year and they play in the grand final and they have won only 85 per cent of their games, this mob opposite would say that West Coast failed and the coach should be sacked! I can tell members opposite that not only is Western Australia extremely well regarded in other states and territories, but every other state and territory in Australia is also copying our four-hour rule. Mr R.H. Cook : They are copying the UK four-hour rule, just like you did! It was not your idea. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, they are not! I will tell the member for Kwinana what happened with the UK four-hour rule. This government set a very high and difficult target, and I hope that West Coast does the same this year! But there are some clear differences between Western Australia and the United Kingdom. Firstly, the people in the United Kingdom fully employ all their consultants, which we do not. Secondly, since the new government has come into office, it has pulled away from the 98 per cent, because — Mr R.H. Cook : I have a point of order, Mr Speaker. Dr K.D. HAMES : This is my answer, not yours. Point of Order Mr R.H. COOK : The question is clearly about ambulance ramping and elective surgery. The SPEAKER : There is no point of order if that is all the member is talking about. Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Mr R.H. Cook : Because you failed at that, too! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a bit like the Dockers saying it will set a target—no, I will use West Coast as an example, because they got the wooden spoon! It is like West Coast saying that it is their target to win 95 per cent of their games this year; however, when West Coast comes to the end of the year and they play in the grand final and they have won only 85 per cent of their games, this mob opposite would say that West Coast failed and the coach should be sacked! I can tell members opposite that not only is Western Australia extremely well regarded in other states and territories, but every other state and territory in Australia is also copying our four-hour rule. Mr R.H. Cook : They are copying the UK four-hour rule, just like you did! It was not your idea. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, they are not! I will tell the member for Kwinana what happened with the UK four-hour rule. This government set a very high and difficult target, and I hope that West Coast does the same this year! But there are some clear differences between Western Australia and the United Kingdom. Firstly, the people in the United Kingdom fully employ all their consultants, which we do not. Secondly, since the new government has come into office, it has pulled away from the 98 per cent, because — Mr R.H. Cook : I have a point of order, Mr Speaker. Dr K.D. HAMES : This is my answer, not yours. Point of Order Mr R.H. COOK : The question is clearly about ambulance ramping and elective surgery. The SPEAKER : There is no point of order if that is all the member is talking about. Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a bit like the Dockers saying it will set a target—no, I will use West Coast as an example, because they got the wooden spoon! It is like West Coast saying that it is their target to win 95 per cent of their games this year; however, when West Coast comes to the end of the year and they play in the grand final and they have won only 85 per cent of their games, this mob opposite would say that West Coast failed and the coach should be sacked! I can tell members opposite that not only is Western Australia extremely well regarded in other states and territories, but every other state and territory in Australia is also copying our four-hour rule. Mr R.H. Cook : They are copying the UK four-hour rule, just like you did! It was not your idea. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, they are not! I will tell the member for Kwinana what happened with the UK four-hour rule. This government set a very high and difficult target, and I hope that West Coast does the same this year! But there are some clear differences between Western Australia and the United Kingdom. Firstly, the people in the United Kingdom fully employ all their consultants, which we do not. Secondly, since the new government has come into office, it has pulled away from the 98 per cent, because — Mr R.H. Cook : I have a point of order, Mr Speaker. Dr K.D. HAMES : This is my answer, not yours. Point of Order Mr R.H. COOK : The question is clearly about ambulance ramping and elective surgery. The SPEAKER : There is no point of order if that is all the member is talking about. Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Mr R.H. Cook : They are copying the UK four-hour rule, just like you did! It was not your idea. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, they are not! I will tell the member for Kwinana what happened with the UK four-hour rule. This government set a very high and difficult target, and I hope that West Coast does the same this year! But there are some clear differences between Western Australia and the United Kingdom. Firstly, the people in the United Kingdom fully employ all their consultants, which we do not. Secondly, since the new government has come into office, it has pulled away from the 98 per cent, because — Mr R.H. Cook : I have a point of order, Mr Speaker. Dr K.D. HAMES : This is my answer, not yours. Point of Order Mr R.H. COOK : The question is clearly about ambulance ramping and elective surgery. The SPEAKER : There is no point of order if that is all the member is talking about. Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Dr K.D. HAMES : No, they are not! I will tell the member for Kwinana what happened with the UK four-hour rule. This government set a very high and difficult target, and I hope that West Coast does the same this year! But there are some clear differences between Western Australia and the United Kingdom. Firstly, the people in the United Kingdom fully employ all their consultants, which we do not. Secondly, since the new government has come into office, it has pulled away from the 98 per cent, because — Mr R.H. Cook : I have a point of order, Mr Speaker. Dr K.D. HAMES : This is my answer, not yours. Point of Order Mr R.H. COOK : The question is clearly about ambulance ramping and elective surgery. The SPEAKER : There is no point of order if that is all the member is talking about. Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Mr R.H. Cook : I have a point of order, Mr Speaker. Dr K.D. HAMES : This is my answer, not yours. Point of Order Mr R.H. COOK : The question is clearly about ambulance ramping and elective surgery. The SPEAKER : There is no point of order if that is all the member is talking about. Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Dr K.D. HAMES : This is my answer, not yours. Point of Order Mr R.H. COOK : The question is clearly about ambulance ramping and elective surgery. The SPEAKER : There is no point of order if that is all the member is talking about. Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
The SPEAKER : There is no point of order if that is all the member is talking about. Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
(1) Why has the minister failed in these two important areas in the health system? (2) Will the minister give an undertaking to return ramping and surgery waiting lists to at least the level of 2008 when he came to office? (3) Will the minister resign if he fails to reach those targets? Dr K.D. HAMES replied: The member for Kwinana would like to see me resign, I am sure! Mr E.S. Ripper : On reflection, we would like to see you stay. Dr K.D. HAMES : The Leader of the Opposition says that now! (1)–(3) I have just come back from the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference in Hobart, which I chaired. The Western Australian health system is very highly regarded by all the other states and territories, particularly our four-hour rule. Despite the Deputy Leader of the Opposition calling for me to be sacked the other day — Mr R.H. Cook : Because you failed at that, too! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a bit like the Dockers saying it will set a target—no, I will use West Coast as an example, because they got the wooden spoon! It is like West Coast saying that it is their target to win 95 per cent of their games this year; however, when West Coast comes to the end of the year and they play in the grand final and they have won only 85 per cent of their games, this mob opposite would say that West Coast failed and the coach should be sacked! I can tell members opposite that not only is Western Australia extremely well regarded in other states and territories, but every other state and territory in Australia is also copying our four-hour rule. Mr R.H. Cook : They are copying the UK four-hour rule, just like you did! It was not your idea. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, they are not! I will tell the member for Kwinana what happened with the UK four-hour rule. This government set a very high and difficult target, and I hope that West Coast does the same this year! But there are some clear differences between Western Australia and the United Kingdom. Firstly, the people in the United Kingdom fully employ all their consultants, which we do not. Secondly, since the new government has come into office, it has pulled away from the 98 per cent, because — Mr R.H. Cook : I have a point of order, Mr Speaker. Dr K.D. HAMES : This is my answer, not yours. Point of Order Mr R.H. COOK : The question is clearly about ambulance ramping and elective surgery. The SPEAKER : There is no point of order if that is all the member is talking about. Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
(2) Will the minister give an undertaking to return ramping and surgery waiting lists to at least the level of 2008 when he came to office? (3) Will the minister resign if he fails to reach those targets? Dr K.D. HAMES replied: The member for Kwinana would like to see me resign, I am sure! Mr E.S. Ripper : On reflection, we would like to see you stay. Dr K.D. HAMES : The Leader of the Opposition says that now! (1)–(3) I have just come back from the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference in Hobart, which I chaired. The Western Australian health system is very highly regarded by all the other states and territories, particularly our four-hour rule. Despite the Deputy Leader of the Opposition calling for me to be sacked the other day — Mr R.H. Cook : Because you failed at that, too! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a bit like the Dockers saying it will set a target—no, I will use West Coast as an example, because they got the wooden spoon! It is like West Coast saying that it is their target to win 95 per cent of their games this year; however, when West Coast comes to the end of the year and they play in the grand final and they have won only 85 per cent of their games, this mob opposite would say that West Coast failed and the coach should be sacked! I can tell members opposite that not only is Western Australia extremely well regarded in other states and territories, but every other state and territory in Australia is also copying our four-hour rule. Mr R.H. Cook : They are copying the UK four-hour rule, just like you did! It was not your idea. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, they are not! I will tell the member for Kwinana what happened with the UK four-hour rule. This government set a very high and difficult target, and I hope that West Coast does the same this year! But there are some clear differences between Western Australia and the United Kingdom. Firstly, the people in the United Kingdom fully employ all their consultants, which we do not. Secondly, since the new government has come into office, it has pulled away from the 98 per cent, because — Mr R.H. Cook : I have a point of order, Mr Speaker. Dr K.D. HAMES : This is my answer, not yours. Point of Order Mr R.H. COOK : The question is clearly about ambulance ramping and elective surgery. The SPEAKER : There is no point of order if that is all the member is talking about. Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
(3) Will the minister resign if he fails to reach those targets? Dr K.D. HAMES replied: The member for Kwinana would like to see me resign, I am sure! Mr E.S. Ripper : On reflection, we would like to see you stay. Dr K.D. HAMES : The Leader of the Opposition says that now! (1)–(3) I have just come back from the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference in Hobart, which I chaired. The Western Australian health system is very highly regarded by all the other states and territories, particularly our four-hour rule. Despite the Deputy Leader of the Opposition calling for me to be sacked the other day — Mr R.H. Cook : Because you failed at that, too! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a bit like the Dockers saying it will set a target—no, I will use West Coast as an example, because they got the wooden spoon! It is like West Coast saying that it is their target to win 95 per cent of their games this year; however, when West Coast comes to the end of the year and they play in the grand final and they have won only 85 per cent of their games, this mob opposite would say that West Coast failed and the coach should be sacked! I can tell members opposite that not only is Western Australia extremely well regarded in other states and territories, but every other state and territory in Australia is also copying our four-hour rule. Mr R.H. Cook : They are copying the UK four-hour rule, just like you did! It was not your idea. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, they are not! I will tell the member for Kwinana what happened with the UK four-hour rule. This government set a very high and difficult target, and I hope that West Coast does the same this year! But there are some clear differences between Western Australia and the United Kingdom. Firstly, the people in the United Kingdom fully employ all their consultants, which we do not. Secondly, since the new government has come into office, it has pulled away from the 98 per cent, because — Mr R.H. Cook : I have a point of order, Mr Speaker. Dr K.D. HAMES : This is my answer, not yours. Point of Order Mr R.H. COOK : The question is clearly about ambulance ramping and elective surgery. The SPEAKER : There is no point of order if that is all the member is talking about. Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Dr K.D. HAMES replied: The member for Kwinana would like to see me resign, I am sure! Mr E.S. Ripper : On reflection, we would like to see you stay. Dr K.D. HAMES : The Leader of the Opposition says that now! (1)–(3) I have just come back from the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference in Hobart, which I chaired. The Western Australian health system is very highly regarded by all the other states and territories, particularly our four-hour rule. Despite the Deputy Leader of the Opposition calling for me to be sacked the other day — Mr R.H. Cook : Because you failed at that, too! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a bit like the Dockers saying it will set a target—no, I will use West Coast as an example, because they got the wooden spoon! It is like West Coast saying that it is their target to win 95 per cent of their games this year; however, when West Coast comes to the end of the year and they play in the grand final and they have won only 85 per cent of their games, this mob opposite would say that West Coast failed and the coach should be sacked! I can tell members opposite that not only is Western Australia extremely well regarded in other states and territories, but every other state and territory in Australia is also copying our four-hour rule. Mr R.H. Cook : They are copying the UK four-hour rule, just like you did! It was not your idea. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, they are not! I will tell the member for Kwinana what happened with the UK four-hour rule. This government set a very high and difficult target, and I hope that West Coast does the same this year! But there are some clear differences between Western Australia and the United Kingdom. Firstly, the people in the United Kingdom fully employ all their consultants, which we do not. Secondly, since the new government has come into office, it has pulled away from the 98 per cent, because — Mr R.H. Cook : I have a point of order, Mr Speaker. Dr K.D. HAMES : This is my answer, not yours. Point of Order Mr R.H. COOK : The question is clearly about ambulance ramping and elective surgery. The SPEAKER : There is no point of order if that is all the member is talking about. Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
The member for Kwinana would like to see me resign, I am sure! Mr E.S. Ripper : On reflection, we would like to see you stay. Dr K.D. HAMES : The Leader of the Opposition says that now! (1)–(3) I have just come back from the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference in Hobart, which I chaired. The Western Australian health system is very highly regarded by all the other states and territories, particularly our four-hour rule. Despite the Deputy Leader of the Opposition calling for me to be sacked the other day — Mr R.H. Cook : Because you failed at that, too! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a bit like the Dockers saying it will set a target—no, I will use West Coast as an example, because they got the wooden spoon! It is like West Coast saying that it is their target to win 95 per cent of their games this year; however, when West Coast comes to the end of the year and they play in the grand final and they have won only 85 per cent of their games, this mob opposite would say that West Coast failed and the coach should be sacked! I can tell members opposite that not only is Western Australia extremely well regarded in other states and territories, but every other state and territory in Australia is also copying our four-hour rule. Mr R.H. Cook : They are copying the UK four-hour rule, just like you did! It was not your idea. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, they are not! I will tell the member for Kwinana what happened with the UK four-hour rule. This government set a very high and difficult target, and I hope that West Coast does the same this year! But there are some clear differences between Western Australia and the United Kingdom. Firstly, the people in the United Kingdom fully employ all their consultants, which we do not. Secondly, since the new government has come into office, it has pulled away from the 98 per cent, because — Mr R.H. Cook : I have a point of order, Mr Speaker. Dr K.D. HAMES : This is my answer, not yours. Point of Order Mr R.H. COOK : The question is clearly about ambulance ramping and elective surgery. The SPEAKER : There is no point of order if that is all the member is talking about. Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Mr E.S. Ripper : On reflection, we would like to see you stay. Dr K.D. HAMES : The Leader of the Opposition says that now! (1)–(3) I have just come back from the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference in Hobart, which I chaired. The Western Australian health system is very highly regarded by all the other states and territories, particularly our four-hour rule. Despite the Deputy Leader of the Opposition calling for me to be sacked the other day — Mr R.H. Cook : Because you failed at that, too! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a bit like the Dockers saying it will set a target—no, I will use West Coast as an example, because they got the wooden spoon! It is like West Coast saying that it is their target to win 95 per cent of their games this year; however, when West Coast comes to the end of the year and they play in the grand final and they have won only 85 per cent of their games, this mob opposite would say that West Coast failed and the coach should be sacked! I can tell members opposite that not only is Western Australia extremely well regarded in other states and territories, but every other state and territory in Australia is also copying our four-hour rule. Mr R.H. Cook : They are copying the UK four-hour rule, just like you did! It was not your idea. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, they are not! I will tell the member for Kwinana what happened with the UK four-hour rule. This government set a very high and difficult target, and I hope that West Coast does the same this year! But there are some clear differences between Western Australia and the United Kingdom. Firstly, the people in the United Kingdom fully employ all their consultants, which we do not. Secondly, since the new government has come into office, it has pulled away from the 98 per cent, because — Mr R.H. Cook : I have a point of order, Mr Speaker. Dr K.D. HAMES : This is my answer, not yours. Point of Order Mr R.H. COOK : The question is clearly about ambulance ramping and elective surgery. The SPEAKER : There is no point of order if that is all the member is talking about. Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Dr K.D. HAMES : The Leader of the Opposition says that now! (1)–(3) I have just come back from the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference in Hobart, which I chaired. The Western Australian health system is very highly regarded by all the other states and territories, particularly our four-hour rule. Despite the Deputy Leader of the Opposition calling for me to be sacked the other day — Mr R.H. Cook : Because you failed at that, too! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a bit like the Dockers saying it will set a target—no, I will use West Coast as an example, because they got the wooden spoon! It is like West Coast saying that it is their target to win 95 per cent of their games this year; however, when West Coast comes to the end of the year and they play in the grand final and they have won only 85 per cent of their games, this mob opposite would say that West Coast failed and the coach should be sacked! I can tell members opposite that not only is Western Australia extremely well regarded in other states and territories, but every other state and territory in Australia is also copying our four-hour rule. Mr R.H. Cook : They are copying the UK four-hour rule, just like you did! It was not your idea. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, they are not! I will tell the member for Kwinana what happened with the UK four-hour rule. This government set a very high and difficult target, and I hope that West Coast does the same this year! But there are some clear differences between Western Australia and the United Kingdom. Firstly, the people in the United Kingdom fully employ all their consultants, which we do not. Secondly, since the new government has come into office, it has pulled away from the 98 per cent, because — Mr R.H. Cook : I have a point of order, Mr Speaker. Dr K.D. HAMES : This is my answer, not yours. Point of Order Mr R.H. COOK : The question is clearly about ambulance ramping and elective surgery. The SPEAKER : There is no point of order if that is all the member is talking about. Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
(1)–(3) I have just come back from the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference in Hobart, which I chaired. The Western Australian health system is very highly regarded by all the other states and territories, particularly our four-hour rule. Despite the Deputy Leader of the Opposition calling for me to be sacked the other day — Mr R.H. Cook : Because you failed at that, too! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a bit like the Dockers saying it will set a target—no, I will use West Coast as an example, because they got the wooden spoon! It is like West Coast saying that it is their target to win 95 per cent of their games this year; however, when West Coast comes to the end of the year and they play in the grand final and they have won only 85 per cent of their games, this mob opposite would say that West Coast failed and the coach should be sacked! I can tell members opposite that not only is Western Australia extremely well regarded in other states and territories, but every other state and territory in Australia is also copying our four-hour rule. Mr R.H. Cook : They are copying the UK four-hour rule, just like you did! It was not your idea. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, they are not! I will tell the member for Kwinana what happened with the UK four-hour rule. This government set a very high and difficult target, and I hope that West Coast does the same this year! But there are some clear differences between Western Australia and the United Kingdom. Firstly, the people in the United Kingdom fully employ all their consultants, which we do not. Secondly, since the new government has come into office, it has pulled away from the 98 per cent, because — Mr R.H. Cook : I have a point of order, Mr Speaker. Dr K.D. HAMES : This is my answer, not yours. Point of Order Mr R.H. COOK : The question is clearly about ambulance ramping and elective surgery. The SPEAKER : There is no point of order if that is all the member is talking about. Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Mr R.H. Cook : Because you failed at that, too! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a bit like the Dockers saying it will set a target—no, I will use West Coast as an example, because they got the wooden spoon! It is like West Coast saying that it is their target to win 95 per cent of their games this year; however, when West Coast comes to the end of the year and they play in the grand final and they have won only 85 per cent of their games, this mob opposite would say that West Coast failed and the coach should be sacked! I can tell members opposite that not only is Western Australia extremely well regarded in other states and territories, but every other state and territory in Australia is also copying our four-hour rule. Mr R.H. Cook : They are copying the UK four-hour rule, just like you did! It was not your idea. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, they are not! I will tell the member for Kwinana what happened with the UK four-hour rule. This government set a very high and difficult target, and I hope that West Coast does the same this year! But there are some clear differences between Western Australia and the United Kingdom. Firstly, the people in the United Kingdom fully employ all their consultants, which we do not. Secondly, since the new government has come into office, it has pulled away from the 98 per cent, because — Mr R.H. Cook : I have a point of order, Mr Speaker. Dr K.D. HAMES : This is my answer, not yours. Point of Order Mr R.H. COOK : The question is clearly about ambulance ramping and elective surgery. The SPEAKER : There is no point of order if that is all the member is talking about. Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a bit like the Dockers saying it will set a target—no, I will use West Coast as an example, because they got the wooden spoon! It is like West Coast saying that it is their target to win 95 per cent of their games this year; however, when West Coast comes to the end of the year and they play in the grand final and they have won only 85 per cent of their games, this mob opposite would say that West Coast failed and the coach should be sacked! I can tell members opposite that not only is Western Australia extremely well regarded in other states and territories, but every other state and territory in Australia is also copying our four-hour rule. Mr R.H. Cook : They are copying the UK four-hour rule, just like you did! It was not your idea. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, they are not! I will tell the member for Kwinana what happened with the UK four-hour rule. This government set a very high and difficult target, and I hope that West Coast does the same this year! But there are some clear differences between Western Australia and the United Kingdom. Firstly, the people in the United Kingdom fully employ all their consultants, which we do not. Secondly, since the new government has come into office, it has pulled away from the 98 per cent, because — Mr R.H. Cook : I have a point of order, Mr Speaker. Dr K.D. HAMES : This is my answer, not yours. Point of Order Mr R.H. COOK : The question is clearly about ambulance ramping and elective surgery. The SPEAKER : There is no point of order if that is all the member is talking about. Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Mr R.H. Cook : They are copying the UK four-hour rule, just like you did! It was not your idea. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, they are not! I will tell the member for Kwinana what happened with the UK four-hour rule. This government set a very high and difficult target, and I hope that West Coast does the same this year! But there are some clear differences between Western Australia and the United Kingdom. Firstly, the people in the United Kingdom fully employ all their consultants, which we do not. Secondly, since the new government has come into office, it has pulled away from the 98 per cent, because — Mr R.H. Cook : I have a point of order, Mr Speaker. Dr K.D. HAMES : This is my answer, not yours. Point of Order Mr R.H. COOK : The question is clearly about ambulance ramping and elective surgery. The SPEAKER : There is no point of order if that is all the member is talking about. Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Dr K.D. HAMES : No, they are not! I will tell the member for Kwinana what happened with the UK four-hour rule. This government set a very high and difficult target, and I hope that West Coast does the same this year! But there are some clear differences between Western Australia and the United Kingdom. Firstly, the people in the United Kingdom fully employ all their consultants, which we do not. Secondly, since the new government has come into office, it has pulled away from the 98 per cent, because — Mr R.H. Cook : I have a point of order, Mr Speaker. Dr K.D. HAMES : This is my answer, not yours. Point of Order Mr R.H. COOK : The question is clearly about ambulance ramping and elective surgery. The SPEAKER : There is no point of order if that is all the member is talking about. Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Mr R.H. Cook : I have a point of order, Mr Speaker. Dr K.D. HAMES : This is my answer, not yours. Point of Order Mr R.H. COOK : The question is clearly about ambulance ramping and elective surgery. The SPEAKER : There is no point of order if that is all the member is talking about. Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Dr K.D. HAMES : This is my answer, not yours. Point of Order Mr R.H. COOK : The question is clearly about ambulance ramping and elective surgery. The SPEAKER : There is no point of order if that is all the member is talking about. Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
The SPEAKER : There is no point of order if that is all the member is talking about. Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Mr R.H. Cook : It is a question of relevance, and I call on the Speaker to put the minister back on to the topic. The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
The SPEAKER : I am sure the Minister for Health will be answering the question. Questions without Notice Resumed Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am, and it is a good lead-in to the specific details that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has talked about with waitlist surgery and the like. The four-hour rule is a very good example of targets and trying to achieve them, and what this government can do. We have put in place much more stringent safety and quality arrangements to get to our four-hour rule, which is why achieving the target that we set has been so difficult. In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
In terms of the waiting list, the total number on the waiting list has gone up. I think it is in the high 16 000s at the moment. It was much less than that when we came into government. However, I made it clear to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and others, and to this Parliament in fact, that I was not concerned about that number going up, because it reflects increasing demand, more people wanting to come into the system and have their surgery, and the government addressing the waiting time to get onto the waiting list. As members will recall, the numbers are very large. Under the previous government there were more, but under our government large numbers of people are still waiting to get onto the waiting list. The faster and better we process those people, the more people will be on the waiting list. The critical issue — Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Mr R.H. Cook : So are there fewer or more than that now? Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Dr K.D. HAMES : Just listen; this is really important. The critical issue for the waiting list is not the number on the waiting list; it is how many of those people are treated in the appropriate time. We have set a record. We have done better than the previous government ever did with the percentage of people seen within the recommended time, reducing the length of the waiting list. We have met all the — Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Mr R.H. Cook : No, the system has deteriorated. Despite the help of the federal government, it is going backwards. Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Dr K.D. HAMES : Do not just go on and on. I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. If he wants to just go on and on when I am speaking, it makes it very difficult. Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Mr R.H. Cook : I’m very sorry about that! Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Dr K.D. HAMES : I will stop if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants. I am in no hurry. It is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question time. The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
The critical issue for people on the waiting list is getting them done within the recommended time, and we have a record low in that area. We also have a record low for people being seen within a specific time. Therefore, we are performing far better than the former government did, even if those numbers continue to rise. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Mr R.H. Cook : That’s not true. You’ve got 1 600 more people on the waiting list than when you came to government. Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Dr K.D. HAMES : We have to do even more. As I said, those numbers may well go higher. As we work hard to get people off the waitlist to get onto the waiting list, those numbers may go higher, but if we are seeing them faster than they have ever been seen before, and if more people are treated within the recommended times than ever before, it means that we are doing that surgery on time. We have done an additional 3 000 waitlist surgical procedures this year—3 000. Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Mr R.H. Cook : That’s the federal government’s initiative, not yours. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Dr K.D. HAMES : No, it is not the federal government package. If members recall, when we came into government we put in an additional $30 million on top of what the previous government was spending on waitlist surgery—$30 million—and we have used very little of the commonwealth government money. I think only about $12 million — Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Mr R.H. Cook : You’ve still got record waitlists. Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
Dr K.D. HAMES : Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition want to keep going? Why does he not stop and listen? We have used only $12 million of the commonwealth government money. The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
The other component of the issue is ambulance ramping. The former government had the record. We had a very bad week in which we pipped it, but the majority of our times have been less than they were under Labor. However, the issue is that the number of beds available is just not sufficient to cater for the growth in demand. I am very confident that when Joondalup opens in the very near future, along with other projects developed by this government, it will significantly reduce the flow coming from Joondalup hospital at present, take a lot of pressure off our hospitals and enable us to get those wait times down to a reasonable level.
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