❓ Opposition Leader Mark McGowan questions the Health Minister regarding the implementation of the WA Adult Cancer Care Taskforce Report and the closure of medical oncology services at Royal Perth Hospital (RPH). The Minister defends the decision, stating it was made by senior cancer clinicians and outlines steps being taken to address concerns.
AnsweredQoN 664Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WA ADULT CANCER CARE TASKFORCE REPORT
664. Mr M. McGOWAN to the
Minister for Health:
My supplementary question is this: will the minister
implement the recommendations contained in this report; and if the minister is
so concerned about cancer services in Western Australia and the complaints he
was receiving, why did he allow the medical oncology service at RPH to be
closed, which has caused the problem?
664. Mr M. McGOWAN to the
Minister for Health:
My supplementary question is this: will the minister
implement the recommendations contained in this report; and if the minister is
so concerned about cancer services in Western Australia and the complaints he
was receiving, why did he allow the medical oncology service at RPH to be
closed, which has caused the problem?
AnswerView source ↗
That is good, because that has repeated part of the first
question, with just an additional little bit. The decision that was made about
the distribution of cancer services in this state was made by the senior cancer
clinicians themselves, not by me as the minister. I have got no expertise in
that. Why would I make that sort of decision? The only time I have interfered
in where things should go is with the major trauma centres—the major
trauma location—and cardiothoracic services, because the clinicians
could not come to agreement amongst themselves. In this case, the cancer
service was unified in saying that there should be two major cancer centres in
this state, one based at Charles Gairdner and one based at Fiona Stanley
Hospital. I did my job as minister, saying, ''I'm concerned
about that decision that you've made. I'm not happy with the
results. I think it's compromising patient safety and care, and I want
you to have a look at it.'' So I ordered the report that is now—the
draft was discussed with the former DG and the current DG just last week —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Leader of the Opposition! You are going to get called again, member for
Cannington!
Dr K.D. HAMES :
They are putting together a package of: if we keep it at Royal Perth, how do we
do it? Remember that we have to take those staff from somewhere else to put
them at that location, because there are only so many specialists in the
system. We do not want to reduce the standard of care at Fiona Stanley Hospital
and Sir Charles Gairdner, so how do we fill those positions? All of those recommendations
I have been told are in the report—as I said, I have not seen it yet,
but I will see it in the next couple of weeks when the department has finished
its analysis of the recommendations in the report and comes to me with a
package of recommendations, and I will then have the opportunity to implement
them to deal with the concerns that I expressed as minister.
question, with just an additional little bit. The decision that was made about
the distribution of cancer services in this state was made by the senior cancer
clinicians themselves, not by me as the minister. I have got no expertise in
that. Why would I make that sort of decision? The only time I have interfered
in where things should go is with the major trauma centres—the major
trauma location—and cardiothoracic services, because the clinicians
could not come to agreement amongst themselves. In this case, the cancer
service was unified in saying that there should be two major cancer centres in
this state, one based at Charles Gairdner and one based at Fiona Stanley
Hospital. I did my job as minister, saying, ''I'm concerned
about that decision that you've made. I'm not happy with the
results. I think it's compromising patient safety and care, and I want
you to have a look at it.'' So I ordered the report that is now—the
draft was discussed with the former DG and the current DG just last week —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Leader of the Opposition! You are going to get called again, member for
Cannington!
Dr K.D. HAMES :
They are putting together a package of: if we keep it at Royal Perth, how do we
do it? Remember that we have to take those staff from somewhere else to put
them at that location, because there are only so many specialists in the
system. We do not want to reduce the standard of care at Fiona Stanley Hospital
and Sir Charles Gairdner, so how do we fill those positions? All of those recommendations
I have been told are in the report—as I said, I have not seen it yet,
but I will see it in the next couple of weeks when the department has finished
its analysis of the recommendations in the report and comes to me with a
package of recommendations, and I will then have the opportunity to implement
them to deal with the concerns that I expressed as minister.
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