❓ Mr. Cook questions the Minister for Health regarding assurances about Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD) service levels at Fiona Stanley Hospital, alleging the Minister misled Parliament about his knowledge of service changes. The Minister defends his actions, stating he corrected initial assurances after discovering inaccuracies and has since increased staffing levels.
AnsweredQoN 515Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
IRRITABLE BOWEL DISEASE SERVICES
515. Mr R.H. COOK to the
Minister for Health:
I refer to comments by the minister that he had assurances
from the Department of Health that there was no lowering of service levels for
irritable bowel disease patients at Fiona Stanley Hospital, compared with those
at Fremantle Hospital.
(1) Is it true
that the minister sighted and signed off on briefing notes detailing
significant changes to the clinic on 11 December 2014, 12 December 2014 and
again on 14 January 2015?
(2) Is it not
also true that the minister insisted that changes be made to return the service
to its former standard, to quote the minister, on 15 April 2015, after the
tragic case of Mr Jared Olsen, an IBD patient who died at Fiona Stanley
Hospital?
(3) Why did
the minister mislead Parliament and, more importantly, Mr Phillip Olsen, father
of Jared Olsen, that he had no knowledge of the IBD clinic changes when in fact
he did?
515. Mr R.H. COOK to the
Minister for Health:
I refer to comments by the minister that he had assurances
from the Department of Health that there was no lowering of service levels for
irritable bowel disease patients at Fiona Stanley Hospital, compared with those
at Fremantle Hospital.
(1) Is it true
that the minister sighted and signed off on briefing notes detailing
significant changes to the clinic on 11 December 2014, 12 December 2014 and
again on 14 January 2015?
(2) Is it not
also true that the minister insisted that changes be made to return the service
to its former standard, to quote the minister, on 15 April 2015, after the
tragic case of Mr Jared Olsen, an IBD patient who died at Fiona Stanley
Hospital?
(3) Why did
the minister mislead Parliament and, more importantly, Mr Phillip Olsen, father
of Jared Olsen, that he had no knowledge of the IBD clinic changes when in fact
he did?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) I am madly just sorting through some papers to
find out what my actual comments were. The briefing note that was received in
December resulted in an email from a doctor concerned about the changing
services at the hospital. The briefing note referred to by the member, which I was
actually given by the media when I was there, did not actually contain the
letter that we sent back to the doctor. It was quite clear from that that
although the service was changing, there was no suggestion whatsoever that
there would be any diminution of the quality of the service being provided.
When I noted that, and read the letter that went with it back to the doctor, it
was quite clear that although the service was changing, there was no suggestion
that it was going to be reduced. Remember, that was in December just before —
Mr
M. McGowan : You said there were
going to be staff cuts.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : Yes, there were going to be changes in staff. The note stated,
in fact, that two of the staff said they were going to resign, and had got jobs
elsewhere. In fact, I can read that component of the letter to the Deputy
Leader of the Opposition. The briefing note talks in particular about the two
staff who had resigned. One, who was 0.6 full-time equivalent, was going to be
reappointed into that 0.6 position. That briefing note came in November. Four
weeks later, after the Christmas break, as soon as we were back in the office,
another letter came, this time from the member for Fremantle, again asking
about specific issues on those changes. Again, I went back to the department
and received a briefing note. I wrote this on the bottom of this briefing note
that I had noted: but please ensure that the quality of the service is not
diminished. I wrote that on 14 January 2015.
Mr R.H. Cook interjected.
Dr K.D. HAMES : I knew it was being changed. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition talks
about misleading Parliament, and I would like him to show me where I did that.
We have been back through the parliamentary records, and the only record I can
find is a response to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in this house in
debate when I said that I went out and said publicly—remember I did
that on radio—that I was assured that the services were the same. Then,
I had to go back on radio a couple of days later—maybe the next day—and
correct that, because I had been given information that that was not correct.
That is the information I gave to this house. At no stage whatever have I
misled the house or made statements other than those in which I explained what
went on, exactly as I have now. I was reassured that the service would be the
same. As it turned out, it was not the same, and I made a public apology as a
result of that. I have now insisted that the number of full-time equivalents,
which was 2.4, be increased to over four FTEs, to make sure that we can provide
the same standard of service.
find out what my actual comments were. The briefing note that was received in
December resulted in an email from a doctor concerned about the changing
services at the hospital. The briefing note referred to by the member, which I was
actually given by the media when I was there, did not actually contain the
letter that we sent back to the doctor. It was quite clear from that that
although the service was changing, there was no suggestion whatsoever that
there would be any diminution of the quality of the service being provided.
When I noted that, and read the letter that went with it back to the doctor, it
was quite clear that although the service was changing, there was no suggestion
that it was going to be reduced. Remember, that was in December just before —
Mr
M. McGowan : You said there were
going to be staff cuts.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : Yes, there were going to be changes in staff. The note stated,
in fact, that two of the staff said they were going to resign, and had got jobs
elsewhere. In fact, I can read that component of the letter to the Deputy
Leader of the Opposition. The briefing note talks in particular about the two
staff who had resigned. One, who was 0.6 full-time equivalent, was going to be
reappointed into that 0.6 position. That briefing note came in November. Four
weeks later, after the Christmas break, as soon as we were back in the office,
another letter came, this time from the member for Fremantle, again asking
about specific issues on those changes. Again, I went back to the department
and received a briefing note. I wrote this on the bottom of this briefing note
that I had noted: but please ensure that the quality of the service is not
diminished. I wrote that on 14 January 2015.
Mr R.H. Cook interjected.
Dr K.D. HAMES : I knew it was being changed. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition talks
about misleading Parliament, and I would like him to show me where I did that.
We have been back through the parliamentary records, and the only record I can
find is a response to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in this house in
debate when I said that I went out and said publicly—remember I did
that on radio—that I was assured that the services were the same. Then,
I had to go back on radio a couple of days later—maybe the next day—and
correct that, because I had been given information that that was not correct.
That is the information I gave to this house. At no stage whatever have I
misled the house or made statements other than those in which I explained what
went on, exactly as I have now. I was reassured that the service would be the
same. As it turned out, it was not the same, and I made a public apology as a
result of that. I have now insisted that the number of full-time equivalents,
which was 2.4, be increased to over four FTEs, to make sure that we can provide
the same standard of service.
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