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❓ A WA parliamentary question on notice addresses concerns about resource sharing of specialised medical equipment in hospitals, following a media report highlighting potential health system strain. The response indicates limited instances of equipment sharing, with no reported patient medical emergencies resulting from it.

AnsweredQoN 141Legislative Council

Asked

26 May 2021

Member

Hon James Hayward

Portfolio

Health

QuestionView source ↗

I refer to the WA Today article on 15 May 2021, titled "Waiting for six hours with a bleeding bowel: Leaked email exposes the extent of WA's health crisis" and the claim that the health system is experiencing a severe shortage of specialised medical equipment, and I ask: (a) how many instances have occurred in 2021 to date, where hospitals have had to resource share specialised medical equipment: (i) how many of those in (a) have resulted in patient medical emergency; (b) how many instances have occurred in 2021 to date, where practitioners in different departments within a hospital have been delayed due to resource sharing; (c) does the Minister receive a collation of these occurrences from each health service provider: (i) if yes to (c), how frequently does this occur; and (ii) what action is taken to escalate the issues raised; and (d) if no to (3), has the Minister previously received this information: (i) when did the Minister stop receiving this information?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered

22 June 2021

Responded by

Minister for Mental Health representing the Minister for Health

Response time

8 days

For the South Metropolitan, North Metropolitan, East Metropolitan and WA Country Health Service:
(a) Nil.
(i) Not applicable.
(b) Not applicable.
(c) No.
(i)-(ii) Not applicable.
(d) No.
(i) Not applicable.
For the Child and Adolescent Health Service:
(a) Four equipment loans and 25 instrument set loans.
(i) Nil
(b) Not applicable.
(c) No
(i)-(ii) Not applicable.
(d) No.
(i) Not applicable.

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