❓ Mrs O'Malley asks about the government's efforts to recruit and support healthcare workers. The Minister outlines initiatives like GradConnect, the Belong campaign, pay increases, nurse-to-patient ratios, and a nurse practitioner pilot program.
AnsweredQoN 72Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HEALTH — WORKFORCE — RECRUITMENT
72. Mrs L.M. O'MALLEY to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's work to recruit more nurses, midwives, doctors and allied
health staff to WA public hospitals.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house the important measures the government is
undertaking to support and strengthen our health workforce?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how these measures are improving health outcomes in
our hospitals?
72. Mrs L.M. O'MALLEY to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's work to recruit more nurses, midwives, doctors and allied
health staff to WA public hospitals.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house the important measures the government is
undertaking to support and strengthen our health workforce?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how these measures are improving health outcomes in
our hospitals?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) It
is an excellent question. I thank the member for Bicton for her question and
for the opportunity to talk about a range of
initiatives running at the moment, in particular the nurse practitioner pilot
that I announced with the commonwealth earlier this week. The first is
GradConnect, a twice yearly intake in recruitment of newly qualified nurses. It
is just one way that newly graduated nurses and midwives can connect with
potential employers. We have connected aged care with GradConnect as well. A
total of 1 130 grads were offered positions
in the public health system last year, and 200 of those went to WA Country
Health. It also supports nurses and midwives with transition into
practice programs. These are funded by the government to support those new
grads into transitioning into practice on the floor so that they get an
opportunity to watch and learn and be paid before they get hands on. All that
helps with retention and support for this incredibly
important workforce. We had early feedback from our grads. With 137 graduate
nurses employed in the east metropolitan region alone, I yesterday met
66; they are very excited. It was a great morning with lots of excitement and a
bit of trepidation, but the early feedback was really good that they are
feeling very supported, they are enjoying their placements and they are doing a
range of placements, whether it is ICU, trauma, acute medical or geriatrics—they
get a range of access to different clinical areas.
We
also today launched the second stage of the Belong campaign, which expands on
the original campaign launched
internationally, that focuses on nurses and midwives who may not be practising
currently, but are living in Western Australia. It builds on that first
stage and highlights that the government has fast-tracked that cost-of-living payment
to our nurses and midwives with a three per cent to 4.5 per cent pay increase.
We have some of the highest penalty rates of any jurisdiction in the country,
and we are importantly committed to implementing nurse-to-patient ratios. They
are working, because we know that nurses are coming
to WA Health to work, whether it is local or overseas. We are adding over 3 300
FTE. Since 2017 , that is a 21 per cent increase in our nursing
workforce. With 1 200 medical FTE, that is a 23 per cent increase, and the 1 400
allied health FTE is a 23 per cent increase. That is in contrast with the
former Liberal–National government when FTE grew by one per cent in
eight years in the public health system. That was over eight years of
government.
I am very excited to inform the house
of the nurse practitioner pilot launched early this week, funded by the
commonwealth. National cabinet discussed some challenges around health
occurring in every jurisdiction. The federal government put $100 million on the
table for innovation in health care. WA has come forward with the idea of
providing nurse practitioners to deliver primary health care. These are highly skilled workers in our system, many of whom
are not working to scope. We know that there are at least 60 employed in
health care who are not employed as nurse practitioners. This is a two-year
trial that will fund those nurse practitioners to prescribe, order pathology,
order tests, interpret them and provide important care. This is just one of the
many ways that the state government is partnering with the commonwealth
government to provide an open access to health care for our community.
is an excellent question. I thank the member for Bicton for her question and
for the opportunity to talk about a range of
initiatives running at the moment, in particular the nurse practitioner pilot
that I announced with the commonwealth earlier this week. The first is
GradConnect, a twice yearly intake in recruitment of newly qualified nurses. It
is just one way that newly graduated nurses and midwives can connect with
potential employers. We have connected aged care with GradConnect as well. A
total of 1 130 grads were offered positions
in the public health system last year, and 200 of those went to WA Country
Health. It also supports nurses and midwives with transition into
practice programs. These are funded by the government to support those new
grads into transitioning into practice on the floor so that they get an
opportunity to watch and learn and be paid before they get hands on. All that
helps with retention and support for this incredibly
important workforce. We had early feedback from our grads. With 137 graduate
nurses employed in the east metropolitan region alone, I yesterday met
66; they are very excited. It was a great morning with lots of excitement and a
bit of trepidation, but the early feedback was really good that they are
feeling very supported, they are enjoying their placements and they are doing a
range of placements, whether it is ICU, trauma, acute medical or geriatrics—they
get a range of access to different clinical areas.
We
also today launched the second stage of the Belong campaign, which expands on
the original campaign launched
internationally, that focuses on nurses and midwives who may not be practising
currently, but are living in Western Australia. It builds on that first
stage and highlights that the government has fast-tracked that cost-of-living payment
to our nurses and midwives with a three per cent to 4.5 per cent pay increase.
We have some of the highest penalty rates of any jurisdiction in the country,
and we are importantly committed to implementing nurse-to-patient ratios. They
are working, because we know that nurses are coming
to WA Health to work, whether it is local or overseas. We are adding over 3 300
FTE. Since 2017 , that is a 21 per cent increase in our nursing
workforce. With 1 200 medical FTE, that is a 23 per cent increase, and the 1 400
allied health FTE is a 23 per cent increase. That is in contrast with the
former Liberal–National government when FTE grew by one per cent in
eight years in the public health system. That was over eight years of
government.
I am very excited to inform the house
of the nurse practitioner pilot launched early this week, funded by the
commonwealth. National cabinet discussed some challenges around health
occurring in every jurisdiction. The federal government put $100 million on the
table for innovation in health care. WA has come forward with the idea of
providing nurse practitioners to deliver primary health care. These are highly skilled workers in our system, many of whom
are not working to scope. We know that there are at least 60 employed in
health care who are not employed as nurse practitioners. This is a two-year
trial that will fund those nurse practitioners to prescribe, order pathology,
order tests, interpret them and provide important care. This is just one of the
many ways that the state government is partnering with the commonwealth
government to provide an open access to health care for our community.
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