❓ A WA parliamentary question addresses health system reforms, regional benefits, bed blocking, and elective surgery cancellations. The answer provides budget increases, workforce growth, bed additions, SHOC details, aged care support programs, and bed numbers in rural areas.
AnsweredQoN 2176Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
As the Minister has previously advised, there has been significant reform and investment in the health care system, including staff and 700 additional beds, as well as a $47 million investment in the establishment of the State Health Operations Centre, and I ask: (a) can you outline the management of the restructure and the benefits to regional centres; (b) can you elaborate on how the State Health Operations Centre will function to improve patient transport and bed flow across the state health system; (c) could you provide details on the number of new regional positions that have been created in rural and remote areas as part of the Minister's health system reforms; (d) what specific steps has your government taken to address the issue of bed blocking by National Disability Insurance Scheme and aged care patients awaiting placement in appropriate facilities; (e) how many times has elective surgery been cancelled in regional hospitals because of bed blocking; and (f) can you advise how many of the 700 additional beds have been in rural and remote areas?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
17 October 2024
Responded by
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health
Response time
5 days
(a-c)
The State Government invested a record additional $3.2 billion in Health in the 2024-25 State Budget. Since coming to government, the health budget has increased by 45 per cent and in the same period, the workforce has grown by 4,400 full-time equivalent nursing staff and 1,800 full-time equivalent medical staff. Additionally, since 2021, over 700 beds have been delivered across the system with a further 550 in the pipeline.
Included in significant reforms to the health system is the State Health Operations Centre (SHOC) which will improve patient transport and flow by managing patient flow throughout the system through access to real time data and centralised coordination, including for regional patients. Additionally, the WA Country Health Service Command Centre has been established to provide 24/7 services including emergency care specialist access for local inpatient admissions, facilitating patient transfer and service delivery for maternity, mental health and palliative patients.
The WACHS Command Centre clinical and coordination teams will be collocating with the SHOC late 2024. The benefits of this colocation for country patients are multifaceted and include patients transfer coordination of over 21,000 inter-hospital transfers in collaboration with St John Ambulance and Royal Flying Doctor Service, ensuring inbound patients form country locations get to the most appropriate facility, supporting better collaboration with metropolitan hospitals and the opportunity for real time situational awareness between WA Health and WA Police in the event of significant emergency.
(d)
While Aged Care and the NDIS are primarily Commonwealth Government responsibilities, the State Government has introduced nation leading reforms to support the discharge of older adults where clinically appropriate. These include the From Hospital to Home program, the Long Stay Patient Fund, Transition Care Program and the Long Stay Patient to Respite Program.
(e)
The term ‘bed block’ refers to levels of bed occupancy impacting patient flow from the emergency department. It is unclear what information is being sought from this question.
(f)
65 additional beds were delivered with an additional 170 beds currently under planning and development for areas under WA Country Health Service.
The State Government invested a record additional $3.2 billion in Health in the 2024-25 State Budget. Since coming to government, the health budget has increased by 45 per cent and in the same period, the workforce has grown by 4,400 full-time equivalent nursing staff and 1,800 full-time equivalent medical staff. Additionally, since 2021, over 700 beds have been delivered across the system with a further 550 in the pipeline.
Included in significant reforms to the health system is the State Health Operations Centre (SHOC) which will improve patient transport and flow by managing patient flow throughout the system through access to real time data and centralised coordination, including for regional patients. Additionally, the WA Country Health Service Command Centre has been established to provide 24/7 services including emergency care specialist access for local inpatient admissions, facilitating patient transfer and service delivery for maternity, mental health and palliative patients.
The WACHS Command Centre clinical and coordination teams will be collocating with the SHOC late 2024. The benefits of this colocation for country patients are multifaceted and include patients transfer coordination of over 21,000 inter-hospital transfers in collaboration with St John Ambulance and Royal Flying Doctor Service, ensuring inbound patients form country locations get to the most appropriate facility, supporting better collaboration with metropolitan hospitals and the opportunity for real time situational awareness between WA Health and WA Police in the event of significant emergency.
(d)
While Aged Care and the NDIS are primarily Commonwealth Government responsibilities, the State Government has introduced nation leading reforms to support the discharge of older adults where clinically appropriate. These include the From Hospital to Home program, the Long Stay Patient Fund, Transition Care Program and the Long Stay Patient to Respite Program.
(e)
The term ‘bed block’ refers to levels of bed occupancy impacting patient flow from the emergency department. It is unclear what information is being sought from this question.
(f)
65 additional beds were delivered with an additional 170 beds currently under planning and development for areas under WA Country Health Service.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.