❓ Mr L'Estrange questions the Minister for Health regarding accountability for public health service delivery. The Minister asserts ultimate responsibility while highlighting the performance of health service providers and the importance of health leaders.
AnsweredQoN 187Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MINISTERIAL CODE OF
CONDUCT — MINISTER FOR HEALTH
187. Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE to the Minister for Health:
I have a supplementary question. Can
the minister clarify for the house with regard to public health service
delivery: does the buck stop with him or does it stop with the chief executive
officer of a health service provider?
CONDUCT — MINISTER FOR HEALTH
187. Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE to the Minister for Health:
I have a supplementary question. Can
the minister clarify for the house with regard to public health service
delivery: does the buck stop with him or does it stop with the chief executive
officer of a health service provider?
AnswerView source ↗
Clearly,
the buck stops with me; that is my responsibility as the Minister for Health.
My role in the context of the hospital services part of my portfolio is to
engage health service boards via the director general of the Department of
Health to provide world-class health care for Western Australians, and that is
what they are doing. I have to make sure that they stay on budget. I have to
make sure that they hit their key performance indicators. I have to make sure
that they respond to the needs of WA patients, which they are doing. I remind
all members present that Western Australia has the best emergency department
statistics of any health jurisdiction in Australia. In relation to elective
surgery, over 90 per cent of patients get their operations within the
clinically needed period. They are doing an outstanding job. My job is to make
sure that the health service providers work damn hard to create an efficient
and effective health system, and to make sure that WA patients are put
first and receive world-class health care.
We all have opinions about how many doctors, nurses and
physiotherapists should be involved and to what extent allied health and
support staff should be engaged in the clinical process, but it may or may not
have escaped the chamber's attention that I am not a doctor —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr R.H. COOK : Nor am I a hospital
manager. That is why it is important that we understand the way that the system
operates. I am responsible for the performance of the system. But, ultimately,
we need to invest in our health leaders and make sure that they are driving the
very best of world practice in clinical care.
the buck stops with me; that is my responsibility as the Minister for Health.
My role in the context of the hospital services part of my portfolio is to
engage health service boards via the director general of the Department of
Health to provide world-class health care for Western Australians, and that is
what they are doing. I have to make sure that they stay on budget. I have to
make sure that they hit their key performance indicators. I have to make sure
that they respond to the needs of WA patients, which they are doing. I remind
all members present that Western Australia has the best emergency department
statistics of any health jurisdiction in Australia. In relation to elective
surgery, over 90 per cent of patients get their operations within the
clinically needed period. They are doing an outstanding job. My job is to make
sure that the health service providers work damn hard to create an efficient
and effective health system, and to make sure that WA patients are put
first and receive world-class health care.
We all have opinions about how many doctors, nurses and
physiotherapists should be involved and to what extent allied health and
support staff should be engaged in the clinical process, but it may or may not
have escaped the chamber's attention that I am not a doctor —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr R.H. COOK : Nor am I a hospital
manager. That is why it is important that we understand the way that the system
operates. I am responsible for the performance of the system. But, ultimately,
we need to invest in our health leaders and make sure that they are driving the
very best of world practice in clinical care.
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