❓ Mr. Masters questions the Minister for Health regarding the Busselton District Hospital's inability to accept inpatients due to alleged understaffing and budget cuts, impacting service quality. The Minister deflects, citing lack of notice.
AnsweredQoN 468Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer the minister to his media statement of 8 August 2004 entitled “Health system is on the mend”. (1) Is it not true that, for five days near the end of July this year, the Busselton District Hospital stopped accepting inpatients, even though there were still some empty beds in the hospital? (2) Can the minister confirm that the reason for the hospital’s inability to open those beds was that not enough nurses were employed to maintain agreed nurse-patient ratios? (3) Can the minister confirm that not enough nurses were employed because the South West Area Health Service had directed that no money be made available for the employment of additional nursing staff? (4) Is it not true that the main reason the Department of Health’s budget was in surplus last year was that rural hospitals such as Busselton were being starved of funds and were forced to provide a lower quality of service than in the past? Mr J.A. McGINTY
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(4) All members of this House know that if they want a detailed answer to a fairly narrowly-based question, and if the question relates to what happened a month ago in one country hospital, I would appreciate some notice of it. I am not in a position to respond to the detail of the matters raised. If the member wishes to give me some notice of this I can provide him - Mr P.D. Omodei: You should know the answer to the question. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Warren-Blackwood to order for the first time. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am sorry to disappoint the member for Warren-Blackwood, but I do not happen to know what is happening on an operational basis, minute by minute, day by day in every one of the many hospitals and health facilities affecting the 30 000 staff and the thousands of patients we treat every day in our hospital system. If the member had given me some notice, I could have given him a sensible reply.
(1) Is it not true that, for five days near the end of July this year, the Busselton District Hospital stopped accepting inpatients, even though there were still some empty beds in the hospital? (2) Can the minister confirm that the reason for the hospital’s inability to open those beds was that not enough nurses were employed to maintain agreed nurse-patient ratios? (3) Can the minister confirm that not enough nurses were employed because the South West Area Health Service had directed that no money be made available for the employment of additional nursing staff? (4) Is it not true that the main reason the Department of Health’s budget was in surplus last year was that rural hospitals such as Busselton were being starved of funds and were forced to provide a lower quality of service than in the past? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(4) All members of this House know that if they want a detailed answer to a fairly narrowly-based question, and if the question relates to what happened a month ago in one country hospital, I would appreciate some notice of it. I am not in a position to respond to the detail of the matters raised. If the member wishes to give me some notice of this I can provide him - Mr P.D. Omodei: You should know the answer to the question. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Warren-Blackwood to order for the first time. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am sorry to disappoint the member for Warren-Blackwood, but I do not happen to know what is happening on an operational basis, minute by minute, day by day in every one of the many hospitals and health facilities affecting the 30 000 staff and the thousands of patients we treat every day in our hospital system. If the member had given me some notice, I could have given him a sensible reply.
(2) Can the minister confirm that the reason for the hospital’s inability to open those beds was that not enough nurses were employed to maintain agreed nurse-patient ratios? (3) Can the minister confirm that not enough nurses were employed because the South West Area Health Service had directed that no money be made available for the employment of additional nursing staff? (4) Is it not true that the main reason the Department of Health’s budget was in surplus last year was that rural hospitals such as Busselton were being starved of funds and were forced to provide a lower quality of service than in the past? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(4) All members of this House know that if they want a detailed answer to a fairly narrowly-based question, and if the question relates to what happened a month ago in one country hospital, I would appreciate some notice of it. I am not in a position to respond to the detail of the matters raised. If the member wishes to give me some notice of this I can provide him - Mr P.D. Omodei: You should know the answer to the question. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Warren-Blackwood to order for the first time. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am sorry to disappoint the member for Warren-Blackwood, but I do not happen to know what is happening on an operational basis, minute by minute, day by day in every one of the many hospitals and health facilities affecting the 30 000 staff and the thousands of patients we treat every day in our hospital system. If the member had given me some notice, I could have given him a sensible reply.
(3) Can the minister confirm that not enough nurses were employed because the South West Area Health Service had directed that no money be made available for the employment of additional nursing staff? (4) Is it not true that the main reason the Department of Health’s budget was in surplus last year was that rural hospitals such as Busselton were being starved of funds and were forced to provide a lower quality of service than in the past? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(4) All members of this House know that if they want a detailed answer to a fairly narrowly-based question, and if the question relates to what happened a month ago in one country hospital, I would appreciate some notice of it. I am not in a position to respond to the detail of the matters raised. If the member wishes to give me some notice of this I can provide him - Mr P.D. Omodei: You should know the answer to the question. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Warren-Blackwood to order for the first time. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am sorry to disappoint the member for Warren-Blackwood, but I do not happen to know what is happening on an operational basis, minute by minute, day by day in every one of the many hospitals and health facilities affecting the 30 000 staff and the thousands of patients we treat every day in our hospital system. If the member had given me some notice, I could have given him a sensible reply.
(4) Is it not true that the main reason the Department of Health’s budget was in surplus last year was that rural hospitals such as Busselton were being starved of funds and were forced to provide a lower quality of service than in the past? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(4) All members of this House know that if they want a detailed answer to a fairly narrowly-based question, and if the question relates to what happened a month ago in one country hospital, I would appreciate some notice of it. I am not in a position to respond to the detail of the matters raised. If the member wishes to give me some notice of this I can provide him - Mr P.D. Omodei: You should know the answer to the question. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Warren-Blackwood to order for the first time. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am sorry to disappoint the member for Warren-Blackwood, but I do not happen to know what is happening on an operational basis, minute by minute, day by day in every one of the many hospitals and health facilities affecting the 30 000 staff and the thousands of patients we treat every day in our hospital system. If the member had given me some notice, I could have given him a sensible reply.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(4) All members of this House know that if they want a detailed answer to a fairly narrowly-based question, and if the question relates to what happened a month ago in one country hospital, I would appreciate some notice of it. I am not in a position to respond to the detail of the matters raised. If the member wishes to give me some notice of this I can provide him - Mr P.D. Omodei: You should know the answer to the question. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Warren-Blackwood to order for the first time. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am sorry to disappoint the member for Warren-Blackwood, but I do not happen to know what is happening on an operational basis, minute by minute, day by day in every one of the many hospitals and health facilities affecting the 30 000 staff and the thousands of patients we treat every day in our hospital system. If the member had given me some notice, I could have given him a sensible reply.
(1)-(4) All members of this House know that if they want a detailed answer to a fairly narrowly-based question, and if the question relates to what happened a month ago in one country hospital, I would appreciate some notice of it. I am not in a position to respond to the detail of the matters raised. If the member wishes to give me some notice of this I can provide him - Mr P.D. Omodei: You should know the answer to the question. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Warren-Blackwood to order for the first time. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am sorry to disappoint the member for Warren-Blackwood, but I do not happen to know what is happening on an operational basis, minute by minute, day by day in every one of the many hospitals and health facilities affecting the 30 000 staff and the thousands of patients we treat every day in our hospital system. If the member had given me some notice, I could have given him a sensible reply.
Mr P.D. Omodei: You should know the answer to the question. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Warren-Blackwood to order for the first time. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am sorry to disappoint the member for Warren-Blackwood, but I do not happen to know what is happening on an operational basis, minute by minute, day by day in every one of the many hospitals and health facilities affecting the 30 000 staff and the thousands of patients we treat every day in our hospital system. If the member had given me some notice, I could have given him a sensible reply.
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Warren-Blackwood to order for the first time. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am sorry to disappoint the member for Warren-Blackwood, but I do not happen to know what is happening on an operational basis, minute by minute, day by day in every one of the many hospitals and health facilities affecting the 30 000 staff and the thousands of patients we treat every day in our hospital system. If the member had given me some notice, I could have given him a sensible reply.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am sorry to disappoint the member for Warren-Blackwood, but I do not happen to know what is happening on an operational basis, minute by minute, day by day in every one of the many hospitals and health facilities affecting the 30 000 staff and the thousands of patients we treat every day in our hospital system. If the member had given me some notice, I could have given him a sensible reply.
(1) Is it not true that, for five days near the end of July this year, the Busselton District Hospital stopped accepting inpatients, even though there were still some empty beds in the hospital? (2) Can the minister confirm that the reason for the hospital’s inability to open those beds was that not enough nurses were employed to maintain agreed nurse-patient ratios? (3) Can the minister confirm that not enough nurses were employed because the South West Area Health Service had directed that no money be made available for the employment of additional nursing staff? (4) Is it not true that the main reason the Department of Health’s budget was in surplus last year was that rural hospitals such as Busselton were being starved of funds and were forced to provide a lower quality of service than in the past? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(4) All members of this House know that if they want a detailed answer to a fairly narrowly-based question, and if the question relates to what happened a month ago in one country hospital, I would appreciate some notice of it. I am not in a position to respond to the detail of the matters raised. If the member wishes to give me some notice of this I can provide him - Mr P.D. Omodei: You should know the answer to the question. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Warren-Blackwood to order for the first time. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am sorry to disappoint the member for Warren-Blackwood, but I do not happen to know what is happening on an operational basis, minute by minute, day by day in every one of the many hospitals and health facilities affecting the 30 000 staff and the thousands of patients we treat every day in our hospital system. If the member had given me some notice, I could have given him a sensible reply.
(2) Can the minister confirm that the reason for the hospital’s inability to open those beds was that not enough nurses were employed to maintain agreed nurse-patient ratios? (3) Can the minister confirm that not enough nurses were employed because the South West Area Health Service had directed that no money be made available for the employment of additional nursing staff? (4) Is it not true that the main reason the Department of Health’s budget was in surplus last year was that rural hospitals such as Busselton were being starved of funds and were forced to provide a lower quality of service than in the past? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(4) All members of this House know that if they want a detailed answer to a fairly narrowly-based question, and if the question relates to what happened a month ago in one country hospital, I would appreciate some notice of it. I am not in a position to respond to the detail of the matters raised. If the member wishes to give me some notice of this I can provide him - Mr P.D. Omodei: You should know the answer to the question. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Warren-Blackwood to order for the first time. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am sorry to disappoint the member for Warren-Blackwood, but I do not happen to know what is happening on an operational basis, minute by minute, day by day in every one of the many hospitals and health facilities affecting the 30 000 staff and the thousands of patients we treat every day in our hospital system. If the member had given me some notice, I could have given him a sensible reply.
(3) Can the minister confirm that not enough nurses were employed because the South West Area Health Service had directed that no money be made available for the employment of additional nursing staff? (4) Is it not true that the main reason the Department of Health’s budget was in surplus last year was that rural hospitals such as Busselton were being starved of funds and were forced to provide a lower quality of service than in the past? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(4) All members of this House know that if they want a detailed answer to a fairly narrowly-based question, and if the question relates to what happened a month ago in one country hospital, I would appreciate some notice of it. I am not in a position to respond to the detail of the matters raised. If the member wishes to give me some notice of this I can provide him - Mr P.D. Omodei: You should know the answer to the question. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Warren-Blackwood to order for the first time. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am sorry to disappoint the member for Warren-Blackwood, but I do not happen to know what is happening on an operational basis, minute by minute, day by day in every one of the many hospitals and health facilities affecting the 30 000 staff and the thousands of patients we treat every day in our hospital system. If the member had given me some notice, I could have given him a sensible reply.
(4) Is it not true that the main reason the Department of Health’s budget was in surplus last year was that rural hospitals such as Busselton were being starved of funds and were forced to provide a lower quality of service than in the past? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(4) All members of this House know that if they want a detailed answer to a fairly narrowly-based question, and if the question relates to what happened a month ago in one country hospital, I would appreciate some notice of it. I am not in a position to respond to the detail of the matters raised. If the member wishes to give me some notice of this I can provide him - Mr P.D. Omodei: You should know the answer to the question. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Warren-Blackwood to order for the first time. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am sorry to disappoint the member for Warren-Blackwood, but I do not happen to know what is happening on an operational basis, minute by minute, day by day in every one of the many hospitals and health facilities affecting the 30 000 staff and the thousands of patients we treat every day in our hospital system. If the member had given me some notice, I could have given him a sensible reply.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(4) All members of this House know that if they want a detailed answer to a fairly narrowly-based question, and if the question relates to what happened a month ago in one country hospital, I would appreciate some notice of it. I am not in a position to respond to the detail of the matters raised. If the member wishes to give me some notice of this I can provide him - Mr P.D. Omodei: You should know the answer to the question. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Warren-Blackwood to order for the first time. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am sorry to disappoint the member for Warren-Blackwood, but I do not happen to know what is happening on an operational basis, minute by minute, day by day in every one of the many hospitals and health facilities affecting the 30 000 staff and the thousands of patients we treat every day in our hospital system. If the member had given me some notice, I could have given him a sensible reply.
(1)-(4) All members of this House know that if they want a detailed answer to a fairly narrowly-based question, and if the question relates to what happened a month ago in one country hospital, I would appreciate some notice of it. I am not in a position to respond to the detail of the matters raised. If the member wishes to give me some notice of this I can provide him - Mr P.D. Omodei: You should know the answer to the question. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Warren-Blackwood to order for the first time. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am sorry to disappoint the member for Warren-Blackwood, but I do not happen to know what is happening on an operational basis, minute by minute, day by day in every one of the many hospitals and health facilities affecting the 30 000 staff and the thousands of patients we treat every day in our hospital system. If the member had given me some notice, I could have given him a sensible reply.
Mr P.D. Omodei: You should know the answer to the question. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Warren-Blackwood to order for the first time. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am sorry to disappoint the member for Warren-Blackwood, but I do not happen to know what is happening on an operational basis, minute by minute, day by day in every one of the many hospitals and health facilities affecting the 30 000 staff and the thousands of patients we treat every day in our hospital system. If the member had given me some notice, I could have given him a sensible reply.
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Warren-Blackwood to order for the first time. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am sorry to disappoint the member for Warren-Blackwood, but I do not happen to know what is happening on an operational basis, minute by minute, day by day in every one of the many hospitals and health facilities affecting the 30 000 staff and the thousands of patients we treat every day in our hospital system. If the member had given me some notice, I could have given him a sensible reply.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am sorry to disappoint the member for Warren-Blackwood, but I do not happen to know what is happening on an operational basis, minute by minute, day by day in every one of the many hospitals and health facilities affecting the 30 000 staff and the thousands of patients we treat every day in our hospital system. If the member had given me some notice, I could have given him a sensible reply.
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