❓ Dr. Honey questions the Minister for Health about increased ambulance ramping times, citing a past statement by the Premier. The Minister responds by highlighting investments, reforms, and external factors impacting the health system.
AnsweredQoN 384Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HEALTH — AMBULANCE RAMPING
384. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Minister for Health:
I
refer to reports that ambulance ramping time for the first six days of June was
1 242 hours. The Premier, when in opposition,
stated that monthly ramping of 1 030 hours was a crisis. How does the minister
explain this shocking new statistic that clearly illustrates her inability
to manage our health system properly and give sick Western Australians the
health care they deserve?
384. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Minister for Health:
I
refer to reports that ambulance ramping time for the first six days of June was
1 242 hours. The Premier, when in opposition,
stated that monthly ramping of 1 030 hours was a crisis. How does the minister
explain this shocking new statistic that clearly illustrates her inability
to manage our health system properly and give sick Western Australians the
health care they deserve?
AnswerView source ↗
I
will run through the answer that I provided to the Leader of the Liberal Party,
who asked exactly the same question . I assume they are not even
coordinating within the same party, let alone within the coalition.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ms
A. SANDERSON : Since 2017, but
particularly through the pandemic and post-pandemic, we have seen record investment
and reform in our health system. Health systems around the country and the
world are under pressure and we are seeing a fundamentally different profile of
patients. That is everywhere; they are seeing that it is fundamentally
different in the United States, as it is in the United Kingdom, as it is in
Canada, as it is here. People are sicker post-pandemic. There is a significant
amount of delayed care and we are seeing higher rates of chronic disease.
As I outlined, we have seen
significant reductions in ramping over the last two years. Year on year, when
we compare the same month of the previous year, it is coming down steadily and
in the right direction. That is exactly what it should be doing. That is due to
our investment in staff, 700 beds in our health system, and our investment in
reform, importantly. In August we will see our $47 million investment in the
establishment of the State Health Operations Centre , which, for the first time—the
Liberals had eight and a half years to do this, it never did it—will
see whole-of-system coordination of patient transport and bed flow across the
entire system.
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ms
A. SANDERSON : Whether they are in
Halls Creek, Albany, Bunbury, the midwest or in one of our metropolitan tertiary hospitals, it will be better for regional patients. There will be
greater communication and better patient flow for those people. It will also
take pressure off our colleagues in the police force, who often assist with
mental health transfers regionally. This is
a massive reform and a really important reform. Although we have seen the early gains in bringing down those ramping numbers, the next stage of reform will
really make the biggest difference. I am happy to keep talking about this,
because it is an incredibly exciting new phase in our health system. That will
be established in August. For the first week of June, as I have outlined, in
that long weekend alone we saw a 23 per cent surge in attendance. That is a quarter
more of what normally would attend.
This
year, more than in previous years, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, where we have
had some challenges, is seeing long-stay NDIS patients who have plans.
Previously, it had long-stay patients who were not having plans approved fast
enough by NDIS. Although it is still slow to approve plans, we are now seeing
plans managed by third-party providers not being managed appropriately. Their
plans run out of money before the end of the financial year and they put their
clients in hospital.
It is disgraceful behaviour and a disgraceful
practice. It is occurring particularly at Royal Perth Hospital and Sir Charles
Gairdner Hospital. That is a mismanagement of those complex clients who have
supports in place and plans approved, but
are not being appropriately managed. To cover the gap for the six weeks to the
end of the financial year, they put them in hospital. That is a disgrace.
will run through the answer that I provided to the Leader of the Liberal Party,
who asked exactly the same question . I assume they are not even
coordinating within the same party, let alone within the coalition.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ms
A. SANDERSON : Since 2017, but
particularly through the pandemic and post-pandemic, we have seen record investment
and reform in our health system. Health systems around the country and the
world are under pressure and we are seeing a fundamentally different profile of
patients. That is everywhere; they are seeing that it is fundamentally
different in the United States, as it is in the United Kingdom, as it is in
Canada, as it is here. People are sicker post-pandemic. There is a significant
amount of delayed care and we are seeing higher rates of chronic disease.
As I outlined, we have seen
significant reductions in ramping over the last two years. Year on year, when
we compare the same month of the previous year, it is coming down steadily and
in the right direction. That is exactly what it should be doing. That is due to
our investment in staff, 700 beds in our health system, and our investment in
reform, importantly. In August we will see our $47 million investment in the
establishment of the State Health Operations Centre , which, for the first time—the
Liberals had eight and a half years to do this, it never did it—will
see whole-of-system coordination of patient transport and bed flow across the
entire system.
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ms
A. SANDERSON : Whether they are in
Halls Creek, Albany, Bunbury, the midwest or in one of our metropolitan tertiary hospitals, it will be better for regional patients. There will be
greater communication and better patient flow for those people. It will also
take pressure off our colleagues in the police force, who often assist with
mental health transfers regionally. This is
a massive reform and a really important reform. Although we have seen the early gains in bringing down those ramping numbers, the next stage of reform will
really make the biggest difference. I am happy to keep talking about this,
because it is an incredibly exciting new phase in our health system. That will
be established in August. For the first week of June, as I have outlined, in
that long weekend alone we saw a 23 per cent surge in attendance. That is a quarter
more of what normally would attend.
This
year, more than in previous years, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, where we have
had some challenges, is seeing long-stay NDIS patients who have plans.
Previously, it had long-stay patients who were not having plans approved fast
enough by NDIS. Although it is still slow to approve plans, we are now seeing
plans managed by third-party providers not being managed appropriately. Their
plans run out of money before the end of the financial year and they put their
clients in hospital.
It is disgraceful behaviour and a disgraceful
practice. It is occurring particularly at Royal Perth Hospital and Sir Charles
Gairdner Hospital. That is a mismanagement of those complex clients who have
supports in place and plans approved, but
are not being appropriately managed. To cover the gap for the six weeks to the
end of the financial year, they put them in hospital. That is a disgrace.
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