❓ Mr. L'Estrange questions the Minister for Health about ambulance ramping and requests a plan to address increased hospital demand. The Minister defends the government's response, citing a severe flu season and praising emergency department staff.
AnsweredQoN 419Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HEALTH SERVICES —
AMBULANCE RAMPING
419. Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE to the Minister for Health:
I have a supplementary question. The
minister talked about the four-hour rule. He is acknowledging a 20 per cent
fail, because the target is 90 per cent—that is an agreed commonwealth
target. Last winter, the minister blamed the flu. This summer, the Minister for
Fisheries, acting for the Minister for Health, blamed the heat. The minister is
now again blaming the flu for this ambulance ramping. It is out of control.
Will the minister provide a ministerial
statement to the Parliament outlining how, where and when he will make resource
changes to deal with the increased demand at our hospitals?
AMBULANCE RAMPING
419. Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE to the Minister for Health:
I have a supplementary question. The
minister talked about the four-hour rule. He is acknowledging a 20 per cent
fail, because the target is 90 per cent—that is an agreed commonwealth
target. Last winter, the minister blamed the flu. This summer, the Minister for
Fisheries, acting for the Minister for Health, blamed the heat. The minister is
now again blaming the flu for this ambulance ramping. It is out of control.
Will the minister provide a ministerial
statement to the Parliament outlining how, where and when he will make resource
changes to deal with the increased demand at our hospitals?
AnswerView source ↗
I do not know what the member for
Churchlands does not understand by the figures of the most severe flu season in
this state's history. What does he not get about that? What does he not
get about the 15 deaths that have occurred this year, over three times more
than the previous year? Does the member for Churchlands not understand what is
going on out there?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr R.H. COOK : The member has
demonstrated so far that he has cloth ears. Is he also blind to what is going
on out there? Our emergency departments are doing an extraordinary job, and the
fact of the matter is that we are getting on top of this issue, we are
responding to the difficulties that our EDs are suffering, and we should all be
proud of what our EDs are doing.
Churchlands does not understand by the figures of the most severe flu season in
this state's history. What does he not get about that? What does he not
get about the 15 deaths that have occurred this year, over three times more
than the previous year? Does the member for Churchlands not understand what is
going on out there?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr R.H. COOK : The member has
demonstrated so far that he has cloth ears. Is he also blind to what is going
on out there? Our emergency departments are doing an extraordinary job, and the
fact of the matter is that we are getting on top of this issue, we are
responding to the difficulties that our EDs are suffering, and we should all be
proud of what our EDs are doing.
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