❓ Dr. Woollard asks about staffing levels and wait times for child health services following a parliamentary report. Minister Hames acknowledges historical neglect, admits no improvements have been made, but commits to addressing the issue during their term, citing budget constraints as a current barrier.
AnsweredQoN 37Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CHILD COMMUNITY HEALTH CARE WAITLIST
(1) Since the Education and Health Standing Committee’s report “Healthy Child – Healthy State: Improving Western Australia’s Child Health Screening Programs” was tabled in May last year, have any of the staff identified as being required in the 2008 Department of Health business plan—that was 105 child health nurses, 135 school health nurses, 126 child development staff and 23 Aboriginal health workers—been employed by the health department, or have there been further reductions in full-time equivalents in any or all of these areas? (2) By how much have the number of children on the waiting lists and the average time children are waiting to receive therapy through metropolitan child development health services increased or decreased since the “Healthy Child – Healthy State” report? Dr K.D. HAMES
(1) Since the Education and Health Standing Committee’s report “Healthy Child – Healthy State: Improving Western Australia’s Child Health Screening Programs” was tabled in May last year, have any of the staff identified as being required in the 2008 Department of Health business plan—that was 105 child health nurses, 135 school health nurses, 126 child development staff and 23 Aboriginal health workers—been employed by the health department, or have there been further reductions in full-time equivalents in any or all of these areas? (2) By how much have the number of children on the waiting lists and the average time children are waiting to receive therapy through metropolitan child development health services increased or decreased since the “Healthy Child – Healthy State” report? Dr K.D. HAMES
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I have responded in this house in the past to the report of the parliamentary Education and Health Standing Committee that recommended those increases in FTEs. I made the point at the time that this represented a long history of neglect in that area, not just by the former government, but going back a long time. No government has adequately addressed the critical need to provide adequate health services for young people in this state, particularly through child health clinics, through Aboriginal health workers and, of course, through speech therapy and occupational therapy. When we were in opposition, I know that Hon Barbara Scott from the other place campaigned long and hard to have the government of the day increase those services. In the response to that report, I committed that during our term of government I would make sure that we found a way to increase the number of staff in that area. I can tell the member that we have not done that as yet—it must be remembered that the report came out in the middle of last year—but it is something that I have made clear I am very keen to do. If we are not able to do it in the short term because of budget constraints, I will certainly still do my best to make sure that it is in place before the end of our term of government. So, no, there are none of those workers. I am not quite sure where the 23 Aboriginal health workers came from. I do not remember that being in the report, but I do remember committing to employ Aboriginal mental health workers in the remote parts of Western Australia. By now, probably some of those would have been employed, but it is certainly something that we have the funds to do, and it is being done. The waiting times have not improved. There has been no reduction in FTEs, but waiting times have not improved. In fact, over the past year they have deteriorated slightly by about a month in all categories. For example, under the former government the waiting time for speech pathology was 15 months; it is now 16.6 months. The waiting time for paediatric services was nine months; it is now 10. The waiting time for physiotherapy was 10 months; it is now 11. The waiting time for clinical psychology was nine months, and it is still nine, and so on. There has been a deterioration, and I accept that. There has been no reduction in FTEs, but neither has there been an increase. I have given our commitment to make sure that our government does something. Unlike the former government that sat in this place for nearly eight years and did nothing, we will do something.
(2) By how much have the number of children on the waiting lists and the average time children are waiting to receive therapy through metropolitan child development health services increased or decreased since the “Healthy Child – Healthy State” report? Dr K.D. HAMES replied: (1)–(2) I have responded in this house in the past to the report of the parliamentary Education and Health Standing Committee that recommended those increases in FTEs. I made the point at the time that this represented a long history of neglect in that area, not just by the former government, but going back a long time. No government has adequately addressed the critical need to provide adequate health services for young people in this state, particularly through child health clinics, through Aboriginal health workers and, of course, through speech therapy and occupational therapy. When we were in opposition, I know that Hon Barbara Scott from the other place campaigned long and hard to have the government of the day increase those services. In the response to that report, I committed that during our term of government I would make sure that we found a way to increase the number of staff in that area. I can tell the member that we have not done that as yet—it must be remembered that the report came out in the middle of last year—but it is something that I have made clear I am very keen to do. If we are not able to do it in the short term because of budget constraints, I will certainly still do my best to make sure that it is in place before the end of our term of government. So, no, there are none of those workers. I am not quite sure where the 23 Aboriginal health workers came from. I do not remember that being in the report, but I do remember committing to employ Aboriginal mental health workers in the remote parts of Western Australia. By now, probably some of those would have been employed, but it is certainly something that we have the funds to do, and it is being done. The waiting times have not improved. There has been no reduction in FTEs, but waiting times have not improved. In fact, over the past year they have deteriorated slightly by about a month in all categories. For example, under the former government the waiting time for speech pathology was 15 months; it is now 16.6 months. The waiting time for paediatric services was nine months; it is now 10. The waiting time for physiotherapy was 10 months; it is now 11. The waiting time for clinical psychology was nine months, and it is still nine, and so on. There has been a deterioration, and I accept that. There has been no reduction in FTEs, but neither has there been an increase. I have given our commitment to make sure that our government does something. Unlike the former government that sat in this place for nearly eight years and did nothing, we will do something.
Dr K.D. HAMES replied: (1)–(2) I have responded in this house in the past to the report of the parliamentary Education and Health Standing Committee that recommended those increases in FTEs. I made the point at the time that this represented a long history of neglect in that area, not just by the former government, but going back a long time. No government has adequately addressed the critical need to provide adequate health services for young people in this state, particularly through child health clinics, through Aboriginal health workers and, of course, through speech therapy and occupational therapy. When we were in opposition, I know that Hon Barbara Scott from the other place campaigned long and hard to have the government of the day increase those services. In the response to that report, I committed that during our term of government I would make sure that we found a way to increase the number of staff in that area. I can tell the member that we have not done that as yet—it must be remembered that the report came out in the middle of last year—but it is something that I have made clear I am very keen to do. If we are not able to do it in the short term because of budget constraints, I will certainly still do my best to make sure that it is in place before the end of our term of government. So, no, there are none of those workers. I am not quite sure where the 23 Aboriginal health workers came from. I do not remember that being in the report, but I do remember committing to employ Aboriginal mental health workers in the remote parts of Western Australia. By now, probably some of those would have been employed, but it is certainly something that we have the funds to do, and it is being done. The waiting times have not improved. There has been no reduction in FTEs, but waiting times have not improved. In fact, over the past year they have deteriorated slightly by about a month in all categories. For example, under the former government the waiting time for speech pathology was 15 months; it is now 16.6 months. The waiting time for paediatric services was nine months; it is now 10. The waiting time for physiotherapy was 10 months; it is now 11. The waiting time for clinical psychology was nine months, and it is still nine, and so on. There has been a deterioration, and I accept that. There has been no reduction in FTEs, but neither has there been an increase. I have given our commitment to make sure that our government does something. Unlike the former government that sat in this place for nearly eight years and did nothing, we will do something.
(1)–(2) I have responded in this house in the past to the report of the parliamentary Education and Health Standing Committee that recommended those increases in FTEs. I made the point at the time that this represented a long history of neglect in that area, not just by the former government, but going back a long time. No government has adequately addressed the critical need to provide adequate health services for young people in this state, particularly through child health clinics, through Aboriginal health workers and, of course, through speech therapy and occupational therapy. When we were in opposition, I know that Hon Barbara Scott from the other place campaigned long and hard to have the government of the day increase those services. In the response to that report, I committed that during our term of government I would make sure that we found a way to increase the number of staff in that area. I can tell the member that we have not done that as yet—it must be remembered that the report came out in the middle of last year—but it is something that I have made clear I am very keen to do. If we are not able to do it in the short term because of budget constraints, I will certainly still do my best to make sure that it is in place before the end of our term of government. So, no, there are none of those workers. I am not quite sure where the 23 Aboriginal health workers came from. I do not remember that being in the report, but I do remember committing to employ Aboriginal mental health workers in the remote parts of Western Australia. By now, probably some of those would have been employed, but it is certainly something that we have the funds to do, and it is being done. The waiting times have not improved. There has been no reduction in FTEs, but waiting times have not improved. In fact, over the past year they have deteriorated slightly by about a month in all categories. For example, under the former government the waiting time for speech pathology was 15 months; it is now 16.6 months. The waiting time for paediatric services was nine months; it is now 10. The waiting time for physiotherapy was 10 months; it is now 11. The waiting time for clinical psychology was nine months, and it is still nine, and so on. There has been a deterioration, and I accept that. There has been no reduction in FTEs, but neither has there been an increase. I have given our commitment to make sure that our government does something. Unlike the former government that sat in this place for nearly eight years and did nothing, we will do something.
The waiting times have not improved. There has been no reduction in FTEs, but waiting times have not improved. In fact, over the past year they have deteriorated slightly by about a month in all categories. For example, under the former government the waiting time for speech pathology was 15 months; it is now 16.6 months. The waiting time for paediatric services was nine months; it is now 10. The waiting time for physiotherapy was 10 months; it is now 11. The waiting time for clinical psychology was nine months, and it is still nine, and so on. There has been a deterioration, and I accept that. There has been no reduction in FTEs, but neither has there been an increase. I have given our commitment to make sure that our government does something. Unlike the former government that sat in this place for nearly eight years and did nothing, we will do something.
(2) By how much have the number of children on the waiting lists and the average time children are waiting to receive therapy through metropolitan child development health services increased or decreased since the “Healthy Child – Healthy State” report? Dr K.D. HAMES replied: (1)–(2) I have responded in this house in the past to the report of the parliamentary Education and Health Standing Committee that recommended those increases in FTEs. I made the point at the time that this represented a long history of neglect in that area, not just by the former government, but going back a long time. No government has adequately addressed the critical need to provide adequate health services for young people in this state, particularly through child health clinics, through Aboriginal health workers and, of course, through speech therapy and occupational therapy. When we were in opposition, I know that Hon Barbara Scott from the other place campaigned long and hard to have the government of the day increase those services. In the response to that report, I committed that during our term of government I would make sure that we found a way to increase the number of staff in that area. I can tell the member that we have not done that as yet—it must be remembered that the report came out in the middle of last year—but it is something that I have made clear I am very keen to do. If we are not able to do it in the short term because of budget constraints, I will certainly still do my best to make sure that it is in place before the end of our term of government. So, no, there are none of those workers. I am not quite sure where the 23 Aboriginal health workers came from. I do not remember that being in the report, but I do remember committing to employ Aboriginal mental health workers in the remote parts of Western Australia. By now, probably some of those would have been employed, but it is certainly something that we have the funds to do, and it is being done. The waiting times have not improved. There has been no reduction in FTEs, but waiting times have not improved. In fact, over the past year they have deteriorated slightly by about a month in all categories. For example, under the former government the waiting time for speech pathology was 15 months; it is now 16.6 months. The waiting time for paediatric services was nine months; it is now 10. The waiting time for physiotherapy was 10 months; it is now 11. The waiting time for clinical psychology was nine months, and it is still nine, and so on. There has been a deterioration, and I accept that. There has been no reduction in FTEs, but neither has there been an increase. I have given our commitment to make sure that our government does something. Unlike the former government that sat in this place for nearly eight years and did nothing, we will do something.
Dr K.D. HAMES replied: (1)–(2) I have responded in this house in the past to the report of the parliamentary Education and Health Standing Committee that recommended those increases in FTEs. I made the point at the time that this represented a long history of neglect in that area, not just by the former government, but going back a long time. No government has adequately addressed the critical need to provide adequate health services for young people in this state, particularly through child health clinics, through Aboriginal health workers and, of course, through speech therapy and occupational therapy. When we were in opposition, I know that Hon Barbara Scott from the other place campaigned long and hard to have the government of the day increase those services. In the response to that report, I committed that during our term of government I would make sure that we found a way to increase the number of staff in that area. I can tell the member that we have not done that as yet—it must be remembered that the report came out in the middle of last year—but it is something that I have made clear I am very keen to do. If we are not able to do it in the short term because of budget constraints, I will certainly still do my best to make sure that it is in place before the end of our term of government. So, no, there are none of those workers. I am not quite sure where the 23 Aboriginal health workers came from. I do not remember that being in the report, but I do remember committing to employ Aboriginal mental health workers in the remote parts of Western Australia. By now, probably some of those would have been employed, but it is certainly something that we have the funds to do, and it is being done. The waiting times have not improved. There has been no reduction in FTEs, but waiting times have not improved. In fact, over the past year they have deteriorated slightly by about a month in all categories. For example, under the former government the waiting time for speech pathology was 15 months; it is now 16.6 months. The waiting time for paediatric services was nine months; it is now 10. The waiting time for physiotherapy was 10 months; it is now 11. The waiting time for clinical psychology was nine months, and it is still nine, and so on. There has been a deterioration, and I accept that. There has been no reduction in FTEs, but neither has there been an increase. I have given our commitment to make sure that our government does something. Unlike the former government that sat in this place for nearly eight years and did nothing, we will do something.
(1)–(2) I have responded in this house in the past to the report of the parliamentary Education and Health Standing Committee that recommended those increases in FTEs. I made the point at the time that this represented a long history of neglect in that area, not just by the former government, but going back a long time. No government has adequately addressed the critical need to provide adequate health services for young people in this state, particularly through child health clinics, through Aboriginal health workers and, of course, through speech therapy and occupational therapy. When we were in opposition, I know that Hon Barbara Scott from the other place campaigned long and hard to have the government of the day increase those services. In the response to that report, I committed that during our term of government I would make sure that we found a way to increase the number of staff in that area. I can tell the member that we have not done that as yet—it must be remembered that the report came out in the middle of last year—but it is something that I have made clear I am very keen to do. If we are not able to do it in the short term because of budget constraints, I will certainly still do my best to make sure that it is in place before the end of our term of government. So, no, there are none of those workers. I am not quite sure where the 23 Aboriginal health workers came from. I do not remember that being in the report, but I do remember committing to employ Aboriginal mental health workers in the remote parts of Western Australia. By now, probably some of those would have been employed, but it is certainly something that we have the funds to do, and it is being done. The waiting times have not improved. There has been no reduction in FTEs, but waiting times have not improved. In fact, over the past year they have deteriorated slightly by about a month in all categories. For example, under the former government the waiting time for speech pathology was 15 months; it is now 16.6 months. The waiting time for paediatric services was nine months; it is now 10. The waiting time for physiotherapy was 10 months; it is now 11. The waiting time for clinical psychology was nine months, and it is still nine, and so on. There has been a deterioration, and I accept that. There has been no reduction in FTEs, but neither has there been an increase. I have given our commitment to make sure that our government does something. Unlike the former government that sat in this place for nearly eight years and did nothing, we will do something.
The waiting times have not improved. There has been no reduction in FTEs, but waiting times have not improved. In fact, over the past year they have deteriorated slightly by about a month in all categories. For example, under the former government the waiting time for speech pathology was 15 months; it is now 16.6 months. The waiting time for paediatric services was nine months; it is now 10. The waiting time for physiotherapy was 10 months; it is now 11. The waiting time for clinical psychology was nine months, and it is still nine, and so on. There has been a deterioration, and I accept that. There has been no reduction in FTEs, but neither has there been an increase. I have given our commitment to make sure that our government does something. Unlike the former government that sat in this place for nearly eight years and did nothing, we will do something.
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