❓ Opposition asks the Health Minister to guarantee a 'Your Voice in Health' survey and release findings before year-end. Minister avoids direct guarantee, highlighting government's record of listening to health workers and ongoing negotiations.
AnsweredQoN 583Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
YOUR VOICE IN HEALTH
SURVEY
583. Ms L. METTAM to the Minister for Health:
Will the minister guarantee to
undertake this survey and release its findings before the end of the
parliamentary year, given that there are other providers available?
SURVEY
583. Ms L. METTAM to the Minister for Health:
Will the minister guarantee to
undertake this survey and release its findings before the end of the
parliamentary year, given that there are other providers available?
AnswerView source ↗
It
is actually not certain that there are other providers available, as the member
points out, because that is the process that the department has to
undergo—a proper procurement process. It takes a number of months to
undertake the survey and analyse the data. We have a strong record. This
government has a very strong —
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please.
Ms A. SANDERSON : The Cook
government has a very strong record of listening to our health workers. We have
a very strong record of listening to our health workers. We are currently
negotiating in good faith with our public health unions to improve wages and
conditions for our public health unions, and we have seen two major unions accept two new deals. We have worked closely with
the Australian Medical Association on its suggestions on how to ease
access in our hospitals, and many of those suggestions—the WA virtual
emergency department, the State Health Incident Coordination Centre—came
from healthcare workers.
Ms L. Mettam : One in three
are not comfortable in speaking up.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Sorry; just a moment,
please. This was a supplementary question. It is supposed to be a simple
question and a simple answer, so you cannot have three more supplementary
questions just by interjecting.
Ms A. SANDERSON : I am sure
that someone in this house later in this question time will ask me in more
detail about the new agreements that are about to be signed with our
healthcare workforce. This government has a strong track record of listening to
our healthcare workers, and I am proud of that track record. We are rolling out
nurse-to-patient ratios. We do not even know what the Liberal–National
Parties' position is on nurse-to-patient ratios. Members opposite still have not told us what their position is.
We do not know what their position is on a range of healthcare worker
conditions and wages, so I am looking forward to the time when members opposite
are honest and transparent with the community and tell us and tell them what
their position is.
is actually not certain that there are other providers available, as the member
points out, because that is the process that the department has to
undergo—a proper procurement process. It takes a number of months to
undertake the survey and analyse the data. We have a strong record. This
government has a very strong —
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please.
Ms A. SANDERSON : The Cook
government has a very strong record of listening to our health workers. We have
a very strong record of listening to our health workers. We are currently
negotiating in good faith with our public health unions to improve wages and
conditions for our public health unions, and we have seen two major unions accept two new deals. We have worked closely with
the Australian Medical Association on its suggestions on how to ease
access in our hospitals, and many of those suggestions—the WA virtual
emergency department, the State Health Incident Coordination Centre—came
from healthcare workers.
Ms L. Mettam : One in three
are not comfortable in speaking up.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Sorry; just a moment,
please. This was a supplementary question. It is supposed to be a simple
question and a simple answer, so you cannot have three more supplementary
questions just by interjecting.
Ms A. SANDERSON : I am sure
that someone in this house later in this question time will ask me in more
detail about the new agreements that are about to be signed with our
healthcare workforce. This government has a strong track record of listening to
our healthcare workers, and I am proud of that track record. We are rolling out
nurse-to-patient ratios. We do not even know what the Liberal–National
Parties' position is on nurse-to-patient ratios. Members opposite still have not told us what their position is.
We do not know what their position is on a range of healthcare worker
conditions and wages, so I am looking forward to the time when members opposite
are honest and transparent with the community and tell us and tell them what
their position is.
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