❓ Ms Mettam questions the Minister for Health regarding maternity services at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, specifically concerning high-risk births and emergency surgery. The Minister defends the government's plan to build a new women's and babies' hospital.
AnsweredQoN 624Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital—Maternity services
624. Ms Libby Mettam to
the Minister for Health:
I refer to the
minister's remarks today that she is not pursuing any plan to ensure that
high-risk births will take place alongside Perth Children's Hospital. Does the
minister stand by her claim that more than 200 babies born each year requiring
emergency surgery is just a small number?
624. Ms Libby Mettam to
the Minister for Health:
I refer to the
minister's remarks today that she is not pursuing any plan to ensure that
high-risk births will take place alongside Perth Children's Hospital. Does the
minister stand by her claim that more than 200 babies born each year requiring
emergency surgery is just a small number?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member
for the question. We spent quite a bit of time on that this morning. Indeed,
quite a bit of time has been spent on these issues over some time. I do not
accept the member's analysis of what was said this morning. I was providing the
member with an update of our significant plan for how we would provide improved
access to maternity services for the women, babies and families of Western
Australia. We have talked many times in this place about the plans to build the
new women's and babies' hospital, and we are very excited about it. The new
hospital is underway. It is an incredibly important $1.8 billion project that
will ensure that the hospital is delivered. I again make the point that our
side of politics has a plan to deliver that hospital. The plan the member took
to the last election would have seen—
Ms Libby Mettam interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Vasse, the minister is less
than a minute into her response. Please let her answer your question.
Ms Meredith Hammat: The member's plan that she took to
the election and was roundly rejected would not have seen a new hospital built
for 20 years. We are getting on with the job of building the new women's and
babies' hospital at Murdoch. We have signed the contract and are beginning the
works. As part of that, we are also delivering improved birthing facilities at
Osborne Park Hospital. I detailed those facilities for the member this morning.
We are very excited to improve the access that women, babies and families will
have in the northern suburbs of Perth through the new facilities and expanded
maternity services at Osborne Park Hospital.
It is also worth
mentioning the significant work that is happening at Fiona Stanley Hospital. We
talked in detail about that this morning. I have said many times in this place,
and will continue to say it, that the planning work is continuing. The hospital
is being built and the works that will improve Osborne Park Hospital are also
underway. It is an exciting time for maternity services in Western Australia.
We are getting on with the job of delivering that infrastructure and continuing
to do the important work to plan for the services. The member knows that
because we have been over it in some detail. Our government—
Ms Libby Mettam: You don't have a final plan.
Ms Meredith Hammat: Member, we are getting on with the
job.
Ms Libby Mettam interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Vasse!
Ms Meredith Hammat: Every time I take a question from the member on this I am reminded of Albert
Einstein, who said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over
and over again expecting a different result.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Vasse! Minister! Members of
the opposition, you still have a supplementary on this.
Ms Meredith Hammat: The work is being done. We are
getting on with the job of building the women's and babies' hospital and the
other hospitals that we are very proud to have made announcements about last
week. The work is ongoing for the planning of the new hospital and the services
it will provide. We talked about this in some detail this morning, member. I will
continue to provide updates as they become available.
for the question. We spent quite a bit of time on that this morning. Indeed,
quite a bit of time has been spent on these issues over some time. I do not
accept the member's analysis of what was said this morning. I was providing the
member with an update of our significant plan for how we would provide improved
access to maternity services for the women, babies and families of Western
Australia. We have talked many times in this place about the plans to build the
new women's and babies' hospital, and we are very excited about it. The new
hospital is underway. It is an incredibly important $1.8 billion project that
will ensure that the hospital is delivered. I again make the point that our
side of politics has a plan to deliver that hospital. The plan the member took
to the last election would have seen—
Ms Libby Mettam interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Vasse, the minister is less
than a minute into her response. Please let her answer your question.
Ms Meredith Hammat: The member's plan that she took to
the election and was roundly rejected would not have seen a new hospital built
for 20 years. We are getting on with the job of building the new women's and
babies' hospital at Murdoch. We have signed the contract and are beginning the
works. As part of that, we are also delivering improved birthing facilities at
Osborne Park Hospital. I detailed those facilities for the member this morning.
We are very excited to improve the access that women, babies and families will
have in the northern suburbs of Perth through the new facilities and expanded
maternity services at Osborne Park Hospital.
It is also worth
mentioning the significant work that is happening at Fiona Stanley Hospital. We
talked in detail about that this morning. I have said many times in this place,
and will continue to say it, that the planning work is continuing. The hospital
is being built and the works that will improve Osborne Park Hospital are also
underway. It is an exciting time for maternity services in Western Australia.
We are getting on with the job of delivering that infrastructure and continuing
to do the important work to plan for the services. The member knows that
because we have been over it in some detail. Our government—
Ms Libby Mettam: You don't have a final plan.
Ms Meredith Hammat: Member, we are getting on with the
job.
Ms Libby Mettam interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Vasse!
Ms Meredith Hammat: Every time I take a question from the member on this I am reminded of Albert
Einstein, who said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over
and over again expecting a different result.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Vasse! Minister! Members of
the opposition, you still have a supplementary on this.
Ms Meredith Hammat: The work is being done. We are
getting on with the job of building the women's and babies' hospital and the
other hospitals that we are very proud to have made announcements about last
week. The work is ongoing for the planning of the new hospital and the services
it will provide. We talked about this in some detail this morning, member. I will
continue to provide updates as they become available.
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.