❓ A WA parliamentary question regarding the alleged downgrading of services at Dumbleyung District Memorial Hospital and the Minister's response denying any final decision and highlighting the lack of medical admissions in recent years.
AnsweredQoN 1302Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the minister’s decision to downgrade services at Dumbleyung District Memorial Hospital to those of a day clinic and to close the hospital’s aged-care facility. (1) Why was there no consultation, and why did the local townspeople, shire officials and hospital staff have no inkling of the planned downgrade at the Dumbleyung hospital until senior regional health department officials arrived in the town yesterday? (2) What alternative care facilities has the minister arranged for the three aged-care residents who have been told to vacate the premises by Christmas? (3) Given that the minister has also downgraded the accident and emergency department from a 24-hour service to a service that opens on Monday to Friday from 7.00 am to 9.00 pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 8.30 am to 5.00 pm, what accident and emergency procedures have been arranged for outside those hours? (4) Will the minister confirm that the proposed Morawa District Hospital upgrade will go ahead and provide an assurance that services at Three Springs North Midlands District Hospital will not also be downgraded? Mr J.A. McGINTY
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(4) I correct one misapprehension of the member for Wagin; that is, that there has been an announcement of a particular decision about Dumbleyung District Memorial Hospital. There has not been. Mr T.K. Waldron: They have been told that. Mr J.A. McGINTY: No. I correct the member. Yesterday the Department of Health went to the town to commence consultation and talking with all the stakeholders about the future of the Dumbleyung hospital. Consultation and negotiation has to start somewhere, and it started yesterday. Mr T.K. Waldron interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is not correct. Nobody will at any time be removed from that facility against his wishes. That is the reality of the matter. That is the briefing I have received. What occurred yesterday is that Department of Health officials went to Dumbleyung and met with the shire’s chief executive officer, the hospital staff and residents and their families. It also met with the general practitioner, whom I think comes from Wagin one afternoon a week to provide services to the town. A possible alternative model of service delivery for Dumbleyung was outlined. I stress that a final decision has not been made. There has not been a commitment to do anything by a particular date. Nobody will be compulsorily removed from that facility. We want to engage in a genuine dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung because there is a problem. The problem is that the hospital has 31 staff and no patients. There has not been one medical admission to that hospital since 1998 - five years ago. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter. The former Government - I am not in the business of apportioning blame; I am just pointing out the facts - responded to a real problem that existed in 1998, when no medical services were available in the town of Dumbleyung, and it made a decision - speaking of compassion - that no more medical admissions would be made to Dumbleyung hospital. No medical admissions have been made since that date. If anyone comes to Dumbleyung hospital with a medical condition, or a condition that requires - Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter, at least for the people of Dumbleyung. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
(1) Why was there no consultation, and why did the local townspeople, shire officials and hospital staff have no inkling of the planned downgrade at the Dumbleyung hospital until senior regional health department officials arrived in the town yesterday? (2) What alternative care facilities has the minister arranged for the three aged-care residents who have been told to vacate the premises by Christmas? (3) Given that the minister has also downgraded the accident and emergency department from a 24-hour service to a service that opens on Monday to Friday from 7.00 am to 9.00 pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 8.30 am to 5.00 pm, what accident and emergency procedures have been arranged for outside those hours? (4) Will the minister confirm that the proposed Morawa District Hospital upgrade will go ahead and provide an assurance that services at Three Springs North Midlands District Hospital will not also be downgraded? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(4) I correct one misapprehension of the member for Wagin; that is, that there has been an announcement of a particular decision about Dumbleyung District Memorial Hospital. There has not been. Mr T.K. Waldron: They have been told that. Mr J.A. McGINTY: No. I correct the member. Yesterday the Department of Health went to the town to commence consultation and talking with all the stakeholders about the future of the Dumbleyung hospital. Consultation and negotiation has to start somewhere, and it started yesterday. Mr T.K. Waldron interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is not correct. Nobody will at any time be removed from that facility against his wishes. That is the reality of the matter. That is the briefing I have received. What occurred yesterday is that Department of Health officials went to Dumbleyung and met with the shire’s chief executive officer, the hospital staff and residents and their families. It also met with the general practitioner, whom I think comes from Wagin one afternoon a week to provide services to the town. A possible alternative model of service delivery for Dumbleyung was outlined. I stress that a final decision has not been made. There has not been a commitment to do anything by a particular date. Nobody will be compulsorily removed from that facility. We want to engage in a genuine dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung because there is a problem. The problem is that the hospital has 31 staff and no patients. There has not been one medical admission to that hospital since 1998 - five years ago. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter. The former Government - I am not in the business of apportioning blame; I am just pointing out the facts - responded to a real problem that existed in 1998, when no medical services were available in the town of Dumbleyung, and it made a decision - speaking of compassion - that no more medical admissions would be made to Dumbleyung hospital. No medical admissions have been made since that date. If anyone comes to Dumbleyung hospital with a medical condition, or a condition that requires - Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter, at least for the people of Dumbleyung. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
(2) What alternative care facilities has the minister arranged for the three aged-care residents who have been told to vacate the premises by Christmas? (3) Given that the minister has also downgraded the accident and emergency department from a 24-hour service to a service that opens on Monday to Friday from 7.00 am to 9.00 pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 8.30 am to 5.00 pm, what accident and emergency procedures have been arranged for outside those hours? (4) Will the minister confirm that the proposed Morawa District Hospital upgrade will go ahead and provide an assurance that services at Three Springs North Midlands District Hospital will not also be downgraded? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(4) I correct one misapprehension of the member for Wagin; that is, that there has been an announcement of a particular decision about Dumbleyung District Memorial Hospital. There has not been. Mr T.K. Waldron: They have been told that. Mr J.A. McGINTY: No. I correct the member. Yesterday the Department of Health went to the town to commence consultation and talking with all the stakeholders about the future of the Dumbleyung hospital. Consultation and negotiation has to start somewhere, and it started yesterday. Mr T.K. Waldron interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is not correct. Nobody will at any time be removed from that facility against his wishes. That is the reality of the matter. That is the briefing I have received. What occurred yesterday is that Department of Health officials went to Dumbleyung and met with the shire’s chief executive officer, the hospital staff and residents and their families. It also met with the general practitioner, whom I think comes from Wagin one afternoon a week to provide services to the town. A possible alternative model of service delivery for Dumbleyung was outlined. I stress that a final decision has not been made. There has not been a commitment to do anything by a particular date. Nobody will be compulsorily removed from that facility. We want to engage in a genuine dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung because there is a problem. The problem is that the hospital has 31 staff and no patients. There has not been one medical admission to that hospital since 1998 - five years ago. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter. The former Government - I am not in the business of apportioning blame; I am just pointing out the facts - responded to a real problem that existed in 1998, when no medical services were available in the town of Dumbleyung, and it made a decision - speaking of compassion - that no more medical admissions would be made to Dumbleyung hospital. No medical admissions have been made since that date. If anyone comes to Dumbleyung hospital with a medical condition, or a condition that requires - Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter, at least for the people of Dumbleyung. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
(3) Given that the minister has also downgraded the accident and emergency department from a 24-hour service to a service that opens on Monday to Friday from 7.00 am to 9.00 pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 8.30 am to 5.00 pm, what accident and emergency procedures have been arranged for outside those hours? (4) Will the minister confirm that the proposed Morawa District Hospital upgrade will go ahead and provide an assurance that services at Three Springs North Midlands District Hospital will not also be downgraded? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(4) I correct one misapprehension of the member for Wagin; that is, that there has been an announcement of a particular decision about Dumbleyung District Memorial Hospital. There has not been. Mr T.K. Waldron: They have been told that. Mr J.A. McGINTY: No. I correct the member. Yesterday the Department of Health went to the town to commence consultation and talking with all the stakeholders about the future of the Dumbleyung hospital. Consultation and negotiation has to start somewhere, and it started yesterday. Mr T.K. Waldron interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is not correct. Nobody will at any time be removed from that facility against his wishes. That is the reality of the matter. That is the briefing I have received. What occurred yesterday is that Department of Health officials went to Dumbleyung and met with the shire’s chief executive officer, the hospital staff and residents and their families. It also met with the general practitioner, whom I think comes from Wagin one afternoon a week to provide services to the town. A possible alternative model of service delivery for Dumbleyung was outlined. I stress that a final decision has not been made. There has not been a commitment to do anything by a particular date. Nobody will be compulsorily removed from that facility. We want to engage in a genuine dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung because there is a problem. The problem is that the hospital has 31 staff and no patients. There has not been one medical admission to that hospital since 1998 - five years ago. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter. The former Government - I am not in the business of apportioning blame; I am just pointing out the facts - responded to a real problem that existed in 1998, when no medical services were available in the town of Dumbleyung, and it made a decision - speaking of compassion - that no more medical admissions would be made to Dumbleyung hospital. No medical admissions have been made since that date. If anyone comes to Dumbleyung hospital with a medical condition, or a condition that requires - Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter, at least for the people of Dumbleyung. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
(4) Will the minister confirm that the proposed Morawa District Hospital upgrade will go ahead and provide an assurance that services at Three Springs North Midlands District Hospital will not also be downgraded? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(4) I correct one misapprehension of the member for Wagin; that is, that there has been an announcement of a particular decision about Dumbleyung District Memorial Hospital. There has not been. Mr T.K. Waldron: They have been told that. Mr J.A. McGINTY: No. I correct the member. Yesterday the Department of Health went to the town to commence consultation and talking with all the stakeholders about the future of the Dumbleyung hospital. Consultation and negotiation has to start somewhere, and it started yesterday. Mr T.K. Waldron interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is not correct. Nobody will at any time be removed from that facility against his wishes. That is the reality of the matter. That is the briefing I have received. What occurred yesterday is that Department of Health officials went to Dumbleyung and met with the shire’s chief executive officer, the hospital staff and residents and their families. It also met with the general practitioner, whom I think comes from Wagin one afternoon a week to provide services to the town. A possible alternative model of service delivery for Dumbleyung was outlined. I stress that a final decision has not been made. There has not been a commitment to do anything by a particular date. Nobody will be compulsorily removed from that facility. We want to engage in a genuine dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung because there is a problem. The problem is that the hospital has 31 staff and no patients. There has not been one medical admission to that hospital since 1998 - five years ago. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter. The former Government - I am not in the business of apportioning blame; I am just pointing out the facts - responded to a real problem that existed in 1998, when no medical services were available in the town of Dumbleyung, and it made a decision - speaking of compassion - that no more medical admissions would be made to Dumbleyung hospital. No medical admissions have been made since that date. If anyone comes to Dumbleyung hospital with a medical condition, or a condition that requires - Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter, at least for the people of Dumbleyung. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(4) I correct one misapprehension of the member for Wagin; that is, that there has been an announcement of a particular decision about Dumbleyung District Memorial Hospital. There has not been. Mr T.K. Waldron: They have been told that. Mr J.A. McGINTY: No. I correct the member. Yesterday the Department of Health went to the town to commence consultation and talking with all the stakeholders about the future of the Dumbleyung hospital. Consultation and negotiation has to start somewhere, and it started yesterday. Mr T.K. Waldron interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is not correct. Nobody will at any time be removed from that facility against his wishes. That is the reality of the matter. That is the briefing I have received. What occurred yesterday is that Department of Health officials went to Dumbleyung and met with the shire’s chief executive officer, the hospital staff and residents and their families. It also met with the general practitioner, whom I think comes from Wagin one afternoon a week to provide services to the town. A possible alternative model of service delivery for Dumbleyung was outlined. I stress that a final decision has not been made. There has not been a commitment to do anything by a particular date. Nobody will be compulsorily removed from that facility. We want to engage in a genuine dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung because there is a problem. The problem is that the hospital has 31 staff and no patients. There has not been one medical admission to that hospital since 1998 - five years ago. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter. The former Government - I am not in the business of apportioning blame; I am just pointing out the facts - responded to a real problem that existed in 1998, when no medical services were available in the town of Dumbleyung, and it made a decision - speaking of compassion - that no more medical admissions would be made to Dumbleyung hospital. No medical admissions have been made since that date. If anyone comes to Dumbleyung hospital with a medical condition, or a condition that requires - Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter, at least for the people of Dumbleyung. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
(1)-(4) I correct one misapprehension of the member for Wagin; that is, that there has been an announcement of a particular decision about Dumbleyung District Memorial Hospital. There has not been. Mr T.K. Waldron: They have been told that. Mr J.A. McGINTY: No. I correct the member. Yesterday the Department of Health went to the town to commence consultation and talking with all the stakeholders about the future of the Dumbleyung hospital. Consultation and negotiation has to start somewhere, and it started yesterday. Mr T.K. Waldron interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is not correct. Nobody will at any time be removed from that facility against his wishes. That is the reality of the matter. That is the briefing I have received. What occurred yesterday is that Department of Health officials went to Dumbleyung and met with the shire’s chief executive officer, the hospital staff and residents and their families. It also met with the general practitioner, whom I think comes from Wagin one afternoon a week to provide services to the town. A possible alternative model of service delivery for Dumbleyung was outlined. I stress that a final decision has not been made. There has not been a commitment to do anything by a particular date. Nobody will be compulsorily removed from that facility. We want to engage in a genuine dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung because there is a problem. The problem is that the hospital has 31 staff and no patients. There has not been one medical admission to that hospital since 1998 - five years ago. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter. The former Government - I am not in the business of apportioning blame; I am just pointing out the facts - responded to a real problem that existed in 1998, when no medical services were available in the town of Dumbleyung, and it made a decision - speaking of compassion - that no more medical admissions would be made to Dumbleyung hospital. No medical admissions have been made since that date. If anyone comes to Dumbleyung hospital with a medical condition, or a condition that requires - Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter, at least for the people of Dumbleyung. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr T.K. Waldron: They have been told that. Mr J.A. McGINTY: No. I correct the member. Yesterday the Department of Health went to the town to commence consultation and talking with all the stakeholders about the future of the Dumbleyung hospital. Consultation and negotiation has to start somewhere, and it started yesterday. Mr T.K. Waldron interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is not correct. Nobody will at any time be removed from that facility against his wishes. That is the reality of the matter. That is the briefing I have received. What occurred yesterday is that Department of Health officials went to Dumbleyung and met with the shire’s chief executive officer, the hospital staff and residents and their families. It also met with the general practitioner, whom I think comes from Wagin one afternoon a week to provide services to the town. A possible alternative model of service delivery for Dumbleyung was outlined. I stress that a final decision has not been made. There has not been a commitment to do anything by a particular date. Nobody will be compulsorily removed from that facility. We want to engage in a genuine dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung because there is a problem. The problem is that the hospital has 31 staff and no patients. There has not been one medical admission to that hospital since 1998 - five years ago. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter. The former Government - I am not in the business of apportioning blame; I am just pointing out the facts - responded to a real problem that existed in 1998, when no medical services were available in the town of Dumbleyung, and it made a decision - speaking of compassion - that no more medical admissions would be made to Dumbleyung hospital. No medical admissions have been made since that date. If anyone comes to Dumbleyung hospital with a medical condition, or a condition that requires - Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter, at least for the people of Dumbleyung. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: No. I correct the member. Yesterday the Department of Health went to the town to commence consultation and talking with all the stakeholders about the future of the Dumbleyung hospital. Consultation and negotiation has to start somewhere, and it started yesterday. Mr T.K. Waldron interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is not correct. Nobody will at any time be removed from that facility against his wishes. That is the reality of the matter. That is the briefing I have received. What occurred yesterday is that Department of Health officials went to Dumbleyung and met with the shire’s chief executive officer, the hospital staff and residents and their families. It also met with the general practitioner, whom I think comes from Wagin one afternoon a week to provide services to the town. A possible alternative model of service delivery for Dumbleyung was outlined. I stress that a final decision has not been made. There has not been a commitment to do anything by a particular date. Nobody will be compulsorily removed from that facility. We want to engage in a genuine dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung because there is a problem. The problem is that the hospital has 31 staff and no patients. There has not been one medical admission to that hospital since 1998 - five years ago. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter. The former Government - I am not in the business of apportioning blame; I am just pointing out the facts - responded to a real problem that existed in 1998, when no medical services were available in the town of Dumbleyung, and it made a decision - speaking of compassion - that no more medical admissions would be made to Dumbleyung hospital. No medical admissions have been made since that date. If anyone comes to Dumbleyung hospital with a medical condition, or a condition that requires - Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter, at least for the people of Dumbleyung. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr T.K. Waldron interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is not correct. Nobody will at any time be removed from that facility against his wishes. That is the reality of the matter. That is the briefing I have received. What occurred yesterday is that Department of Health officials went to Dumbleyung and met with the shire’s chief executive officer, the hospital staff and residents and their families. It also met with the general practitioner, whom I think comes from Wagin one afternoon a week to provide services to the town. A possible alternative model of service delivery for Dumbleyung was outlined. I stress that a final decision has not been made. There has not been a commitment to do anything by a particular date. Nobody will be compulsorily removed from that facility. We want to engage in a genuine dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung because there is a problem. The problem is that the hospital has 31 staff and no patients. There has not been one medical admission to that hospital since 1998 - five years ago. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter. The former Government - I am not in the business of apportioning blame; I am just pointing out the facts - responded to a real problem that existed in 1998, when no medical services were available in the town of Dumbleyung, and it made a decision - speaking of compassion - that no more medical admissions would be made to Dumbleyung hospital. No medical admissions have been made since that date. If anyone comes to Dumbleyung hospital with a medical condition, or a condition that requires - Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter, at least for the people of Dumbleyung. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is not correct. Nobody will at any time be removed from that facility against his wishes. That is the reality of the matter. That is the briefing I have received. What occurred yesterday is that Department of Health officials went to Dumbleyung and met with the shire’s chief executive officer, the hospital staff and residents and their families. It also met with the general practitioner, whom I think comes from Wagin one afternoon a week to provide services to the town. A possible alternative model of service delivery for Dumbleyung was outlined. I stress that a final decision has not been made. There has not been a commitment to do anything by a particular date. Nobody will be compulsorily removed from that facility. We want to engage in a genuine dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung because there is a problem. The problem is that the hospital has 31 staff and no patients. There has not been one medical admission to that hospital since 1998 - five years ago. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter. The former Government - I am not in the business of apportioning blame; I am just pointing out the facts - responded to a real problem that existed in 1998, when no medical services were available in the town of Dumbleyung, and it made a decision - speaking of compassion - that no more medical admissions would be made to Dumbleyung hospital. No medical admissions have been made since that date. If anyone comes to Dumbleyung hospital with a medical condition, or a condition that requires - Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter, at least for the people of Dumbleyung. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter. The former Government - I am not in the business of apportioning blame; I am just pointing out the facts - responded to a real problem that existed in 1998, when no medical services were available in the town of Dumbleyung, and it made a decision - speaking of compassion - that no more medical admissions would be made to Dumbleyung hospital. No medical admissions have been made since that date. If anyone comes to Dumbleyung hospital with a medical condition, or a condition that requires - Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter, at least for the people of Dumbleyung. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter. The former Government - I am not in the business of apportioning blame; I am just pointing out the facts - responded to a real problem that existed in 1998, when no medical services were available in the town of Dumbleyung, and it made a decision - speaking of compassion - that no more medical admissions would be made to Dumbleyung hospital. No medical admissions have been made since that date. If anyone comes to Dumbleyung hospital with a medical condition, or a condition that requires - Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter, at least for the people of Dumbleyung. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter, at least for the people of Dumbleyung. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter, at least for the people of Dumbleyung. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
(1) Why was there no consultation, and why did the local townspeople, shire officials and hospital staff have no inkling of the planned downgrade at the Dumbleyung hospital until senior regional health department officials arrived in the town yesterday? (2) What alternative care facilities has the minister arranged for the three aged-care residents who have been told to vacate the premises by Christmas? (3) Given that the minister has also downgraded the accident and emergency department from a 24-hour service to a service that opens on Monday to Friday from 7.00 am to 9.00 pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 8.30 am to 5.00 pm, what accident and emergency procedures have been arranged for outside those hours? (4) Will the minister confirm that the proposed Morawa District Hospital upgrade will go ahead and provide an assurance that services at Three Springs North Midlands District Hospital will not also be downgraded? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(4) I correct one misapprehension of the member for Wagin; that is, that there has been an announcement of a particular decision about Dumbleyung District Memorial Hospital. There has not been. Mr T.K. Waldron: They have been told that. Mr J.A. McGINTY: No. I correct the member. Yesterday the Department of Health went to the town to commence consultation and talking with all the stakeholders about the future of the Dumbleyung hospital. Consultation and negotiation has to start somewhere, and it started yesterday. Mr T.K. Waldron interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is not correct. Nobody will at any time be removed from that facility against his wishes. That is the reality of the matter. That is the briefing I have received. What occurred yesterday is that Department of Health officials went to Dumbleyung and met with the shire’s chief executive officer, the hospital staff and residents and their families. It also met with the general practitioner, whom I think comes from Wagin one afternoon a week to provide services to the town. A possible alternative model of service delivery for Dumbleyung was outlined. I stress that a final decision has not been made. There has not been a commitment to do anything by a particular date. Nobody will be compulsorily removed from that facility. We want to engage in a genuine dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung because there is a problem. The problem is that the hospital has 31 staff and no patients. There has not been one medical admission to that hospital since 1998 - five years ago. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter. The former Government - I am not in the business of apportioning blame; I am just pointing out the facts - responded to a real problem that existed in 1998, when no medical services were available in the town of Dumbleyung, and it made a decision - speaking of compassion - that no more medical admissions would be made to Dumbleyung hospital. No medical admissions have been made since that date. If anyone comes to Dumbleyung hospital with a medical condition, or a condition that requires - Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter, at least for the people of Dumbleyung. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
(2) What alternative care facilities has the minister arranged for the three aged-care residents who have been told to vacate the premises by Christmas? (3) Given that the minister has also downgraded the accident and emergency department from a 24-hour service to a service that opens on Monday to Friday from 7.00 am to 9.00 pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 8.30 am to 5.00 pm, what accident and emergency procedures have been arranged for outside those hours? (4) Will the minister confirm that the proposed Morawa District Hospital upgrade will go ahead and provide an assurance that services at Three Springs North Midlands District Hospital will not also be downgraded? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(4) I correct one misapprehension of the member for Wagin; that is, that there has been an announcement of a particular decision about Dumbleyung District Memorial Hospital. There has not been. Mr T.K. Waldron: They have been told that. Mr J.A. McGINTY: No. I correct the member. Yesterday the Department of Health went to the town to commence consultation and talking with all the stakeholders about the future of the Dumbleyung hospital. Consultation and negotiation has to start somewhere, and it started yesterday. Mr T.K. Waldron interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is not correct. Nobody will at any time be removed from that facility against his wishes. That is the reality of the matter. That is the briefing I have received. What occurred yesterday is that Department of Health officials went to Dumbleyung and met with the shire’s chief executive officer, the hospital staff and residents and their families. It also met with the general practitioner, whom I think comes from Wagin one afternoon a week to provide services to the town. A possible alternative model of service delivery for Dumbleyung was outlined. I stress that a final decision has not been made. There has not been a commitment to do anything by a particular date. Nobody will be compulsorily removed from that facility. We want to engage in a genuine dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung because there is a problem. The problem is that the hospital has 31 staff and no patients. There has not been one medical admission to that hospital since 1998 - five years ago. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter. The former Government - I am not in the business of apportioning blame; I am just pointing out the facts - responded to a real problem that existed in 1998, when no medical services were available in the town of Dumbleyung, and it made a decision - speaking of compassion - that no more medical admissions would be made to Dumbleyung hospital. No medical admissions have been made since that date. If anyone comes to Dumbleyung hospital with a medical condition, or a condition that requires - Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter, at least for the people of Dumbleyung. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
(3) Given that the minister has also downgraded the accident and emergency department from a 24-hour service to a service that opens on Monday to Friday from 7.00 am to 9.00 pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 8.30 am to 5.00 pm, what accident and emergency procedures have been arranged for outside those hours? (4) Will the minister confirm that the proposed Morawa District Hospital upgrade will go ahead and provide an assurance that services at Three Springs North Midlands District Hospital will not also be downgraded? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(4) I correct one misapprehension of the member for Wagin; that is, that there has been an announcement of a particular decision about Dumbleyung District Memorial Hospital. There has not been. Mr T.K. Waldron: They have been told that. Mr J.A. McGINTY: No. I correct the member. Yesterday the Department of Health went to the town to commence consultation and talking with all the stakeholders about the future of the Dumbleyung hospital. Consultation and negotiation has to start somewhere, and it started yesterday. Mr T.K. Waldron interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is not correct. Nobody will at any time be removed from that facility against his wishes. That is the reality of the matter. That is the briefing I have received. What occurred yesterday is that Department of Health officials went to Dumbleyung and met with the shire’s chief executive officer, the hospital staff and residents and their families. It also met with the general practitioner, whom I think comes from Wagin one afternoon a week to provide services to the town. A possible alternative model of service delivery for Dumbleyung was outlined. I stress that a final decision has not been made. There has not been a commitment to do anything by a particular date. Nobody will be compulsorily removed from that facility. We want to engage in a genuine dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung because there is a problem. The problem is that the hospital has 31 staff and no patients. There has not been one medical admission to that hospital since 1998 - five years ago. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter. The former Government - I am not in the business of apportioning blame; I am just pointing out the facts - responded to a real problem that existed in 1998, when no medical services were available in the town of Dumbleyung, and it made a decision - speaking of compassion - that no more medical admissions would be made to Dumbleyung hospital. No medical admissions have been made since that date. If anyone comes to Dumbleyung hospital with a medical condition, or a condition that requires - Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter, at least for the people of Dumbleyung. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
(4) Will the minister confirm that the proposed Morawa District Hospital upgrade will go ahead and provide an assurance that services at Three Springs North Midlands District Hospital will not also be downgraded? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(4) I correct one misapprehension of the member for Wagin; that is, that there has been an announcement of a particular decision about Dumbleyung District Memorial Hospital. There has not been. Mr T.K. Waldron: They have been told that. Mr J.A. McGINTY: No. I correct the member. Yesterday the Department of Health went to the town to commence consultation and talking with all the stakeholders about the future of the Dumbleyung hospital. Consultation and negotiation has to start somewhere, and it started yesterday. Mr T.K. Waldron interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is not correct. Nobody will at any time be removed from that facility against his wishes. That is the reality of the matter. That is the briefing I have received. What occurred yesterday is that Department of Health officials went to Dumbleyung and met with the shire’s chief executive officer, the hospital staff and residents and their families. It also met with the general practitioner, whom I think comes from Wagin one afternoon a week to provide services to the town. A possible alternative model of service delivery for Dumbleyung was outlined. I stress that a final decision has not been made. There has not been a commitment to do anything by a particular date. Nobody will be compulsorily removed from that facility. We want to engage in a genuine dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung because there is a problem. The problem is that the hospital has 31 staff and no patients. There has not been one medical admission to that hospital since 1998 - five years ago. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter. The former Government - I am not in the business of apportioning blame; I am just pointing out the facts - responded to a real problem that existed in 1998, when no medical services were available in the town of Dumbleyung, and it made a decision - speaking of compassion - that no more medical admissions would be made to Dumbleyung hospital. No medical admissions have been made since that date. If anyone comes to Dumbleyung hospital with a medical condition, or a condition that requires - Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter, at least for the people of Dumbleyung. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(4) I correct one misapprehension of the member for Wagin; that is, that there has been an announcement of a particular decision about Dumbleyung District Memorial Hospital. There has not been. Mr T.K. Waldron: They have been told that. Mr J.A. McGINTY: No. I correct the member. Yesterday the Department of Health went to the town to commence consultation and talking with all the stakeholders about the future of the Dumbleyung hospital. Consultation and negotiation has to start somewhere, and it started yesterday. Mr T.K. Waldron interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is not correct. Nobody will at any time be removed from that facility against his wishes. That is the reality of the matter. That is the briefing I have received. What occurred yesterday is that Department of Health officials went to Dumbleyung and met with the shire’s chief executive officer, the hospital staff and residents and their families. It also met with the general practitioner, whom I think comes from Wagin one afternoon a week to provide services to the town. A possible alternative model of service delivery for Dumbleyung was outlined. I stress that a final decision has not been made. There has not been a commitment to do anything by a particular date. Nobody will be compulsorily removed from that facility. We want to engage in a genuine dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung because there is a problem. The problem is that the hospital has 31 staff and no patients. There has not been one medical admission to that hospital since 1998 - five years ago. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter. The former Government - I am not in the business of apportioning blame; I am just pointing out the facts - responded to a real problem that existed in 1998, when no medical services were available in the town of Dumbleyung, and it made a decision - speaking of compassion - that no more medical admissions would be made to Dumbleyung hospital. No medical admissions have been made since that date. If anyone comes to Dumbleyung hospital with a medical condition, or a condition that requires - Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter, at least for the people of Dumbleyung. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
(1)-(4) I correct one misapprehension of the member for Wagin; that is, that there has been an announcement of a particular decision about Dumbleyung District Memorial Hospital. There has not been. Mr T.K. Waldron: They have been told that. Mr J.A. McGINTY: No. I correct the member. Yesterday the Department of Health went to the town to commence consultation and talking with all the stakeholders about the future of the Dumbleyung hospital. Consultation and negotiation has to start somewhere, and it started yesterday. Mr T.K. Waldron interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is not correct. Nobody will at any time be removed from that facility against his wishes. That is the reality of the matter. That is the briefing I have received. What occurred yesterday is that Department of Health officials went to Dumbleyung and met with the shire’s chief executive officer, the hospital staff and residents and their families. It also met with the general practitioner, whom I think comes from Wagin one afternoon a week to provide services to the town. A possible alternative model of service delivery for Dumbleyung was outlined. I stress that a final decision has not been made. There has not been a commitment to do anything by a particular date. Nobody will be compulsorily removed from that facility. We want to engage in a genuine dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung because there is a problem. The problem is that the hospital has 31 staff and no patients. There has not been one medical admission to that hospital since 1998 - five years ago. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter. The former Government - I am not in the business of apportioning blame; I am just pointing out the facts - responded to a real problem that existed in 1998, when no medical services were available in the town of Dumbleyung, and it made a decision - speaking of compassion - that no more medical admissions would be made to Dumbleyung hospital. No medical admissions have been made since that date. If anyone comes to Dumbleyung hospital with a medical condition, or a condition that requires - Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter, at least for the people of Dumbleyung. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr T.K. Waldron: They have been told that. Mr J.A. McGINTY: No. I correct the member. Yesterday the Department of Health went to the town to commence consultation and talking with all the stakeholders about the future of the Dumbleyung hospital. Consultation and negotiation has to start somewhere, and it started yesterday. Mr T.K. Waldron interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is not correct. Nobody will at any time be removed from that facility against his wishes. That is the reality of the matter. That is the briefing I have received. What occurred yesterday is that Department of Health officials went to Dumbleyung and met with the shire’s chief executive officer, the hospital staff and residents and their families. It also met with the general practitioner, whom I think comes from Wagin one afternoon a week to provide services to the town. A possible alternative model of service delivery for Dumbleyung was outlined. I stress that a final decision has not been made. There has not been a commitment to do anything by a particular date. Nobody will be compulsorily removed from that facility. We want to engage in a genuine dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung because there is a problem. The problem is that the hospital has 31 staff and no patients. There has not been one medical admission to that hospital since 1998 - five years ago. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter. The former Government - I am not in the business of apportioning blame; I am just pointing out the facts - responded to a real problem that existed in 1998, when no medical services were available in the town of Dumbleyung, and it made a decision - speaking of compassion - that no more medical admissions would be made to Dumbleyung hospital. No medical admissions have been made since that date. If anyone comes to Dumbleyung hospital with a medical condition, or a condition that requires - Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter, at least for the people of Dumbleyung. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: No. I correct the member. Yesterday the Department of Health went to the town to commence consultation and talking with all the stakeholders about the future of the Dumbleyung hospital. Consultation and negotiation has to start somewhere, and it started yesterday. Mr T.K. Waldron interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is not correct. Nobody will at any time be removed from that facility against his wishes. That is the reality of the matter. That is the briefing I have received. What occurred yesterday is that Department of Health officials went to Dumbleyung and met with the shire’s chief executive officer, the hospital staff and residents and their families. It also met with the general practitioner, whom I think comes from Wagin one afternoon a week to provide services to the town. A possible alternative model of service delivery for Dumbleyung was outlined. I stress that a final decision has not been made. There has not been a commitment to do anything by a particular date. Nobody will be compulsorily removed from that facility. We want to engage in a genuine dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung because there is a problem. The problem is that the hospital has 31 staff and no patients. There has not been one medical admission to that hospital since 1998 - five years ago. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter. The former Government - I am not in the business of apportioning blame; I am just pointing out the facts - responded to a real problem that existed in 1998, when no medical services were available in the town of Dumbleyung, and it made a decision - speaking of compassion - that no more medical admissions would be made to Dumbleyung hospital. No medical admissions have been made since that date. If anyone comes to Dumbleyung hospital with a medical condition, or a condition that requires - Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter, at least for the people of Dumbleyung. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr T.K. Waldron interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is not correct. Nobody will at any time be removed from that facility against his wishes. That is the reality of the matter. That is the briefing I have received. What occurred yesterday is that Department of Health officials went to Dumbleyung and met with the shire’s chief executive officer, the hospital staff and residents and their families. It also met with the general practitioner, whom I think comes from Wagin one afternoon a week to provide services to the town. A possible alternative model of service delivery for Dumbleyung was outlined. I stress that a final decision has not been made. There has not been a commitment to do anything by a particular date. Nobody will be compulsorily removed from that facility. We want to engage in a genuine dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung because there is a problem. The problem is that the hospital has 31 staff and no patients. There has not been one medical admission to that hospital since 1998 - five years ago. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter. The former Government - I am not in the business of apportioning blame; I am just pointing out the facts - responded to a real problem that existed in 1998, when no medical services were available in the town of Dumbleyung, and it made a decision - speaking of compassion - that no more medical admissions would be made to Dumbleyung hospital. No medical admissions have been made since that date. If anyone comes to Dumbleyung hospital with a medical condition, or a condition that requires - Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter, at least for the people of Dumbleyung. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is not correct. Nobody will at any time be removed from that facility against his wishes. That is the reality of the matter. That is the briefing I have received. What occurred yesterday is that Department of Health officials went to Dumbleyung and met with the shire’s chief executive officer, the hospital staff and residents and their families. It also met with the general practitioner, whom I think comes from Wagin one afternoon a week to provide services to the town. A possible alternative model of service delivery for Dumbleyung was outlined. I stress that a final decision has not been made. There has not been a commitment to do anything by a particular date. Nobody will be compulsorily removed from that facility. We want to engage in a genuine dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung because there is a problem. The problem is that the hospital has 31 staff and no patients. There has not been one medical admission to that hospital since 1998 - five years ago. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter. The former Government - I am not in the business of apportioning blame; I am just pointing out the facts - responded to a real problem that existed in 1998, when no medical services were available in the town of Dumbleyung, and it made a decision - speaking of compassion - that no more medical admissions would be made to Dumbleyung hospital. No medical admissions have been made since that date. If anyone comes to Dumbleyung hospital with a medical condition, or a condition that requires - Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter, at least for the people of Dumbleyung. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter. The former Government - I am not in the business of apportioning blame; I am just pointing out the facts - responded to a real problem that existed in 1998, when no medical services were available in the town of Dumbleyung, and it made a decision - speaking of compassion - that no more medical admissions would be made to Dumbleyung hospital. No medical admissions have been made since that date. If anyone comes to Dumbleyung hospital with a medical condition, or a condition that requires - Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter, at least for the people of Dumbleyung. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter. The former Government - I am not in the business of apportioning blame; I am just pointing out the facts - responded to a real problem that existed in 1998, when no medical services were available in the town of Dumbleyung, and it made a decision - speaking of compassion - that no more medical admissions would be made to Dumbleyung hospital. No medical admissions have been made since that date. If anyone comes to Dumbleyung hospital with a medical condition, or a condition that requires - Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter, at least for the people of Dumbleyung. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter, at least for the people of Dumbleyung. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: This is a very serious matter, at least for the people of Dumbleyung. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: This needs to be put fairly on the record. Since 1998, there has not been one medical admission to that hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr T.K. Waldron: Medical. Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: That is right. Not one person who has required medical treatment has been admitted to that hospital since 1998. That decision was made for very good reason; namely, there was not a doctor in the town or available to treat patients who required medical treatment in that town. Therefore, the decision was made in 1998 that anyone who required medical treatment had to travel to one of the nearby hospitals - there are four of them within 20 or 30 minutes of Dumbleyung, the closest being Wagin - to receive that medical treatment. Wagin is about 39 kilometres away, or 20 minutes away by car. Any person who requires medical treatment is automatically sent to Wagin. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Wagin. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: I know they do not all live in Wagin, but they cannot be treated in Dumbleyung because there is no doctor in Dumbleyung. Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr T.K. Waldron: They do not all live in Dumbleyung, which is 20 kilometres away, either. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: I appreciate that, in a farming community, that is right. There are four hospitals within 25 minutes to 35 minutes of Dumbleyung. Wagin District Hospital is 39 kilometres to the west, Katanning District Hospital is 53 kilometres to the south, Narrogin Regional Hospital is 88 kilometres to the north west, and Lake Grace District Hospital is 79 kilometres to the east. Dumbleyung is ringed by hospitals that can provide medical care and treatment by the doctors at those facilities. Even though there has not been one medical admission to Dumbleyung hospital, the staffing has been maintained at the same level as in the days when medical patients were admitted to the hospital pre-1998. That is why the hospital has 31 staff today but not one medical patient. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr M.W. Trenorden: Is that 31 FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sorry. Let me make this point. The total expenditure on the Dumbleyung facility is $893 000 a year, of which obviously the overwhelming bulk is spent on the salaries for the 31 staff. I must say that a number of those staff are part-time. Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr B.J. Grylls: How many FTEs? Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: There are 15 full-time equivalents. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is an issue at Dumbleyung that needs to be addressed. The issue is simple. The staffing is there to provide services that are no longer provided. That is the harsh reality of the matter. Three aged-care residents live at the hospital. The capacity to provide good quality programs for that very small number of people is a question mark hanging over the quality of what is done at that hospital. There are certainly the staff to be able to do a raft of things, but the question that must be posed is whether the best way that we can look after elderly people who require nursing home-type accommodation is for them to be residents of this facility when there are so few of them. One of those three persons is a care-awaiting-placement patient awaiting transfer to Wagin, so that will bring the number back to two. It is a very simple question that must be addressed. For that reason, we have opened a dialogue with the people of Dumbleyung. We have told them the nature the problem. Of course, what we have received back is the usual behaviour of people whenever a health issue is raised; namely, they fight to defend their patch. I do not deny the right of the people of Dumbleyung to do that. However, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed and worked through, in cooperation with the local community. We will do exactly that. In the same way that the former Government made the hard decision to deny admission to medical patients at that hospital in 1998, we are now taking the responsible approach of consulting with the community about the best way to deliver services to those people.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.