❓ Mr. Cook questions the Minister for Health regarding increased emergency department attendance figures exceeding budgeted growth, suggesting portfolio mismanagement. The Minister refutes this, citing weighted activity growth figures and severity of cases as key factors, offering to provide further data.
AnsweredQoN 998Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HOSPITAL
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS — WEIGHTED ACTIVITY GROWTH
998. Mr R.H. COOK to the Minister for
Health:
Before I ask my question, because
no-one on the other side will, I welcome on behalf of the member for Cottesloe
students from the Scotch College year 11 politics class who are here today.
I refer to the ''WA Health
Performance Report: July to September 2015 Quarter''. It reveals that
the total number of people attending emergency departments has increased 4.3
per cent on the 2014 figures, compared with the planned three per cent activity
growth in this year's budget.
(1) Does this not
completely contradict the minister's statements to Parliament that
metropolitan hospital activity is below budgeted activity levels?
(2) Does the
minister now accept Dr David Mountain's assertions that, and I quote —
� we've had some very busy
days and that demand is not suddenly going to go away, even if they think it
will,'' �
''they'' being the
government; and will the minister stop using low activity levels as an excuse
for his portfolio mismanagement?
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS — WEIGHTED ACTIVITY GROWTH
998. Mr R.H. COOK to the Minister for
Health:
Before I ask my question, because
no-one on the other side will, I welcome on behalf of the member for Cottesloe
students from the Scotch College year 11 politics class who are here today.
I refer to the ''WA Health
Performance Report: July to September 2015 Quarter''. It reveals that
the total number of people attending emergency departments has increased 4.3
per cent on the 2014 figures, compared with the planned three per cent activity
growth in this year's budget.
(1) Does this not
completely contradict the minister's statements to Parliament that
metropolitan hospital activity is below budgeted activity levels?
(2) Does the
minister now accept Dr David Mountain's assertions that, and I quote —
� we've had some very busy
days and that demand is not suddenly going to go away, even if they think it
will,'' �
''they'' being the
government; and will the minister stop using low activity levels as an excuse
for his portfolio mismanagement?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
recall on many occasions talking about the pressure on our emergency
departments because of a large number of people going to our emergency
departments due to the flu season. David Mountain, particularly when he was
head of the Australian Medical Association, would go racing to the media and
say that the minister should know that it is not about presentations to the
emergency department; it is about the severity of the conditions people have
when they come—the severity of the things they present with. He said
that flu cases that do not require admission are easy, and he is right, but
what the member is quoting is about something totally different. He is using
one thing to explain another. That is why I said that the member should go and
talk to Dr Mountain. The member should take these words I am saying and ask Dr
Mountain whether or not he thinks they are true. I know they are true because I
have lots of quotes of him saying it.
� The issue is not the number of people coming
through the door; it is the severity of what presents. Easy cases, which are GP
cases in many instances, are easy. Doctors such as Dr Mountain do not even deal
with those; they are siphoned into a fast-track area and their conditions are
treated much more easily. It is about the severity of the conditions coming
through. The weighted units of ED activity growth was projected to grow by
four-point-something per cent. I quoted those figures yesterday for whatever
time period that was—I think over the last year, but I am not positive
because I do not have the figures in front of me anymore; I had them yesterday.
They have in fact come in at 2.6 per cent growth. The four per cent growth the
member was talking about may well be the increase in the number of people
coming through the door, but that is not the critical issue; it is the severity
of the condition that comes in and where that takes them. We have said that
there is growth; we have not said it is going backwards. We have said there is
growth in the emergency departments; we know that is the case.
Mr R.H. Cook interjected.
Dr K.D. HAMES : It is not more than was
budgeted for.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Dr
K.D. HAMES : It is not more. We budgeted for growth in the emergency
departments. The member is getting his figures mixed up between hospital growth
—
Mr
R.H. Cook interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Kwinana.
Dr K.D. HAMES : We
budgeted for growth. I read those figures to the member yesterday and I am
happy to show him again.
Mr R.H. Cook interjected.
The SPEAKER : Hansard
is trying transcribe. We cannot have this shouting across the table.
Dr K.D. HAMES : I
am happy to meet the member afterwards and show him the figures that I had
yesterday that clearly showed that the weighted activity growth was predicted
for, I think, 4.6 per cent in emergency departments, and the weighted activity
growth has been something in the order of only 2.6 per cent.
recall on many occasions talking about the pressure on our emergency
departments because of a large number of people going to our emergency
departments due to the flu season. David Mountain, particularly when he was
head of the Australian Medical Association, would go racing to the media and
say that the minister should know that it is not about presentations to the
emergency department; it is about the severity of the conditions people have
when they come—the severity of the things they present with. He said
that flu cases that do not require admission are easy, and he is right, but
what the member is quoting is about something totally different. He is using
one thing to explain another. That is why I said that the member should go and
talk to Dr Mountain. The member should take these words I am saying and ask Dr
Mountain whether or not he thinks they are true. I know they are true because I
have lots of quotes of him saying it.
� The issue is not the number of people coming
through the door; it is the severity of what presents. Easy cases, which are GP
cases in many instances, are easy. Doctors such as Dr Mountain do not even deal
with those; they are siphoned into a fast-track area and their conditions are
treated much more easily. It is about the severity of the conditions coming
through. The weighted units of ED activity growth was projected to grow by
four-point-something per cent. I quoted those figures yesterday for whatever
time period that was—I think over the last year, but I am not positive
because I do not have the figures in front of me anymore; I had them yesterday.
They have in fact come in at 2.6 per cent growth. The four per cent growth the
member was talking about may well be the increase in the number of people
coming through the door, but that is not the critical issue; it is the severity
of the condition that comes in and where that takes them. We have said that
there is growth; we have not said it is going backwards. We have said there is
growth in the emergency departments; we know that is the case.
Mr R.H. Cook interjected.
Dr K.D. HAMES : It is not more than was
budgeted for.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Dr
K.D. HAMES : It is not more. We budgeted for growth in the emergency
departments. The member is getting his figures mixed up between hospital growth
—
Mr
R.H. Cook interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Kwinana.
Dr K.D. HAMES : We
budgeted for growth. I read those figures to the member yesterday and I am
happy to show him again.
Mr R.H. Cook interjected.
The SPEAKER : Hansard
is trying transcribe. We cannot have this shouting across the table.
Dr K.D. HAMES : I
am happy to meet the member afterwards and show him the figures that I had
yesterday that clearly showed that the weighted activity growth was predicted
for, I think, 4.6 per cent in emergency departments, and the weighted activity
growth has been something in the order of only 2.6 per cent.
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