❓ Mr. Cook questions the Minister for Health about increased ambulance ramping at Joondalup Hospital, suggesting opening beds as a solution. The Minister acknowledges the issue but attributes it to system flow problems and increased demand, not just bed capacity.
AnsweredQoN 294Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PUBLIC HOSPITAL BEDS
294. Mr R.H. COOK to the Minister for Health:
I have a supplementary question. In May alone, there were
over 250 hours of ambulance ramping at Joondalup hospital, which is more than double
the figure at the same time last year. Given the chronic rate of ambulance
ramping at that hospital, why does the minister not act immediately to open
those beds and resolve the issue, as he said he would if he was able to do so?
294. Mr R.H. COOK to the Minister for Health:
I have a supplementary question. In May alone, there were
over 250 hours of ambulance ramping at Joondalup hospital, which is more than double
the figure at the same time last year. Given the chronic rate of ambulance
ramping at that hospital, why does the minister not act immediately to open
those beds and resolve the issue, as he said he would if he was able to do so?
AnswerView source ↗
Just having additional beds at Joondalup will not resolve the
issue of ramping. We have ramping at all our hospitals. Joondalup is probably
the worst.
Mr R.H. Cook : You
said it was just a capacity issue —
Dr K.D. HAMES :
Yes.
Mr R.H. Cook : —
so you can resolve it now.
Dr K.D. HAMES :
That amount of capacity is not sufficient to deal with the problems in the
system of flow and the increased demand. As the member knows, 1 000 to 1 500
new people are coming to Western Australia every week. That is a massive increase
in population and, therefore, there is a significant increase in demand.
Interestingly, though, when we look at those figures and compare the number of
patients with those in the same week last year, it is pretty similar. There are
about 200 additional patients compared with the same week last year, yet there
is double the amount of ramping. That says more about how we are flowing those
patients through the hospital. I think we have some work to do; hence, as the
member knows, I am getting some experts from the United Kingdom to come here to
look through our tertiary hospitals, and to look at Joondalup as well, to see
how we can get that flow working better.
issue of ramping. We have ramping at all our hospitals. Joondalup is probably
the worst.
Mr R.H. Cook : You
said it was just a capacity issue —
Dr K.D. HAMES :
Yes.
Mr R.H. Cook : —
so you can resolve it now.
Dr K.D. HAMES :
That amount of capacity is not sufficient to deal with the problems in the
system of flow and the increased demand. As the member knows, 1 000 to 1 500
new people are coming to Western Australia every week. That is a massive increase
in population and, therefore, there is a significant increase in demand.
Interestingly, though, when we look at those figures and compare the number of
patients with those in the same week last year, it is pretty similar. There are
about 200 additional patients compared with the same week last year, yet there
is double the amount of ramping. That says more about how we are flowing those
patients through the hospital. I think we have some work to do; hence, as the
member knows, I am getting some experts from the United Kingdom to come here to
look through our tertiary hospitals, and to look at Joondalup as well, to see
how we can get that flow working better.
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