❓ Ms Mettam questions the Health Minister about the winter health strategy, specifically regarding elective surgery cancellations, free flu vaccinations, and bed locations. The Minister defends the strategy, highlighting investments and record elective surgery delivery, while criticising the opposition's lack of health policy.
AnsweredQoN 155Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Health—Winter strategy
155. Ms Libby Mettam to
the Minister for Health:
I refer to the
government's winter strategy for the state's health system.
(1) Can the minister confirm that elective
surgeries will be cancelled under the strategy, despite more than 4,800
patients being overdue for elective surgery at the end of January?
(2) Will the government provide fully subsidised
flu vaccinations to all Western Australians for six months from 1 April?
(3) In which hospitals will the additional 200 beds
be located?
155. Ms Libby Mettam to
the Minister for Health:
I refer to the
government's winter strategy for the state's health system.
(1) Can the minister confirm that elective
surgeries will be cancelled under the strategy, despite more than 4,800
patients being overdue for elective surgery at the end of January?
(2) Will the government provide fully subsidised
flu vaccinations to all Western Australians for six months from 1 April?
(3) In which hospitals will the additional 200 beds
be located?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) There are a few questions there. I
appreciate the member's interest in the winter health strategy. I will perhaps
start with the first of those in terms of elective surgery. I want to be really
clear, and I want to talk about the Winter Strategy
2026 more broadly because it is an important document. There is a $140 million
investment in ensuring that we have surge capacity to assist through our winter
period. It is a normal part of operations here in Western Australia, and, indeed,
right around Australia and the world, to manage capacity in the hospital system
by managing elective surgery as well. The fundamental principle behind that is
about making sure that people with the most pressing needs, the most pressing
clinical needs, get the treatment that they need first. It is about ensuring
that in times of peak demand in emergency health care, we are able to provide
that emergency assistance and manage elective surgery as part of it. The plan
involves purchasing additional elective surgery capacity in the private sector.
There has been a specific allocation for that to ensure that we have more
options to deliver elective surgery. I want to be clear, member: our track
record on delivering elective surgery has been—
Several members
interjected.
Ms Meredith Hammat: That is right; we have broken
records for delivery—
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Ms Meredith Hammat: We have been breaking records for delivery
of elective surgery.
Several members
interjected.
Ms Meredith Hammat: They do not want to hear it, but
that is the reality: in the last 18 months, there has been—
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members! Minister.
Ms Meredith Hammat: After COVID, there were peak
levels of elective surgery demand in the system because, as part of managing
the health system—
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members! Member for Carine!
Ms Meredith Hammat: It would be helpful if they listened to the answer, because it might encourage understanding
of how the health system runs.
During COVID,
decisions were made to manage elective surgery lists, which meant that after
COVID, there were, indeed, a lot of patients seeking elective surgery—and
there was a significant increase over that period. But since then, WA Health
has been delivering record elective surgery. In the last 18 months we have
broken, 10 times, the weekly record for the delivery of elective surgeries. We
have been focused on getting those elective surgery waiting lists down. We will
continue to manage elective surgeries according to the level of need and
urgency, and we will continue to manage the capacity in our hospital system to
ensure that patients with the most urgent needs, particularly those presenting
through our emergency departments with high levels of acuity, are able to get
the assistance that they need. This is just a normal part of managing the
health system. There is nothing unique about Western Australia in doing that; there
is nothing unique in it around the world. It is a good way to ensure that the people
who have the most urgent needs can get access to those surgeries first.
I want to respond
also to the member's question about dealing with flu vaccinations, because we
have now seen from those opposite at least one attempt at a policy in the
health area. I saw this morning the claim—
Several members
interjected.
Ms Meredith Hammat: We hear a lot from those opposite,
but we never hear what their policies would be and what they would do if they
had the chance. What is their policy for health? But we did hear this morning—
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Ms Meredith Hammat: We heard this morning from the opposition
spokesperson about starting flu vaccinations earlier. Member, I want to be
clear: in making a decision about when we make those free flu vaccinations
available—they will be available from 1 May—I remind members
that we are now making FluMist available for young people as well, children
aged 2 to 11 years, which we think will increase the take-up of flu vaccination
amongst children. We have also announced the rollout of RSV vaccinations to
those aged over 65 living in aged care. But we follow the clinical guidelines
about when we start vaccinations. Member, it is actually important that people
receive their flu vaccination at a time that ensures they are maximally
protected.
Ms Libby Mettam interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Vasse!
Ms Meredith Hammat: The timing of flu vaccinations is
to ensure that the population has maximum protection at the time that the peak
flu season hits Western Australia. I would have thought that any casual
observer of last year would have realised that the peak of the flu vaccination
season—
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members! Minister, please pause. Members
of the opposition and the government, please do not engage in cross-chamber
conversations while the minister is on her feet, responding to the question.
Ms Meredith Hammat: At the peak of the flu season last
year, I would have thought that even the most casual observer would have observed
that it occurred late in July and in August, into September. We will follow the
clinical guidelines and the clinical advice to make sure that people are
protected, and I encourage people to take up the opportunity to access our free
flu vaccinations, and the new ones that we have made available this year. We
will continue with the work we are doing to make sure that Western Australians
get access to the health care that they need. There is $140 million in terms of
preparedness for this winter, and $4.9 billion across the forward estimates in
new infrastructure, more staff and more beds, and we will keep looking at what
more we need to do.
appreciate the member's interest in the winter health strategy. I will perhaps
start with the first of those in terms of elective surgery. I want to be really
clear, and I want to talk about the Winter Strategy
2026 more broadly because it is an important document. There is a $140 million
investment in ensuring that we have surge capacity to assist through our winter
period. It is a normal part of operations here in Western Australia, and, indeed,
right around Australia and the world, to manage capacity in the hospital system
by managing elective surgery as well. The fundamental principle behind that is
about making sure that people with the most pressing needs, the most pressing
clinical needs, get the treatment that they need first. It is about ensuring
that in times of peak demand in emergency health care, we are able to provide
that emergency assistance and manage elective surgery as part of it. The plan
involves purchasing additional elective surgery capacity in the private sector.
There has been a specific allocation for that to ensure that we have more
options to deliver elective surgery. I want to be clear, member: our track
record on delivering elective surgery has been—
Several members
interjected.
Ms Meredith Hammat: That is right; we have broken
records for delivery—
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Ms Meredith Hammat: We have been breaking records for delivery
of elective surgery.
Several members
interjected.
Ms Meredith Hammat: They do not want to hear it, but
that is the reality: in the last 18 months, there has been—
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members! Minister.
Ms Meredith Hammat: After COVID, there were peak
levels of elective surgery demand in the system because, as part of managing
the health system—
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members! Member for Carine!
Ms Meredith Hammat: It would be helpful if they listened to the answer, because it might encourage understanding
of how the health system runs.
During COVID,
decisions were made to manage elective surgery lists, which meant that after
COVID, there were, indeed, a lot of patients seeking elective surgery—and
there was a significant increase over that period. But since then, WA Health
has been delivering record elective surgery. In the last 18 months we have
broken, 10 times, the weekly record for the delivery of elective surgeries. We
have been focused on getting those elective surgery waiting lists down. We will
continue to manage elective surgeries according to the level of need and
urgency, and we will continue to manage the capacity in our hospital system to
ensure that patients with the most urgent needs, particularly those presenting
through our emergency departments with high levels of acuity, are able to get
the assistance that they need. This is just a normal part of managing the
health system. There is nothing unique about Western Australia in doing that; there
is nothing unique in it around the world. It is a good way to ensure that the people
who have the most urgent needs can get access to those surgeries first.
I want to respond
also to the member's question about dealing with flu vaccinations, because we
have now seen from those opposite at least one attempt at a policy in the
health area. I saw this morning the claim—
Several members
interjected.
Ms Meredith Hammat: We hear a lot from those opposite,
but we never hear what their policies would be and what they would do if they
had the chance. What is their policy for health? But we did hear this morning—
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Ms Meredith Hammat: We heard this morning from the opposition
spokesperson about starting flu vaccinations earlier. Member, I want to be
clear: in making a decision about when we make those free flu vaccinations
available—they will be available from 1 May—I remind members
that we are now making FluMist available for young people as well, children
aged 2 to 11 years, which we think will increase the take-up of flu vaccination
amongst children. We have also announced the rollout of RSV vaccinations to
those aged over 65 living in aged care. But we follow the clinical guidelines
about when we start vaccinations. Member, it is actually important that people
receive their flu vaccination at a time that ensures they are maximally
protected.
Ms Libby Mettam interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Vasse!
Ms Meredith Hammat: The timing of flu vaccinations is
to ensure that the population has maximum protection at the time that the peak
flu season hits Western Australia. I would have thought that any casual
observer of last year would have realised that the peak of the flu vaccination
season—
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members! Minister, please pause. Members
of the opposition and the government, please do not engage in cross-chamber
conversations while the minister is on her feet, responding to the question.
Ms Meredith Hammat: At the peak of the flu season last
year, I would have thought that even the most casual observer would have observed
that it occurred late in July and in August, into September. We will follow the
clinical guidelines and the clinical advice to make sure that people are
protected, and I encourage people to take up the opportunity to access our free
flu vaccinations, and the new ones that we have made available this year. We
will continue with the work we are doing to make sure that Western Australians
get access to the health care that they need. There is $140 million in terms of
preparedness for this winter, and $4.9 billion across the forward estimates in
new infrastructure, more staff and more beds, and we will keep looking at what
more we need to do.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.