❓ Mr. Cook questions the Minister for Health regarding job security for hospital workers with the opening of Fiona Stanley Hospital, given potential staff surpluses. The Minister guarantees jobs for permanent staff but acknowledges rearrangements and uncertainties.
AnsweredQoN 677Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
FIONA
STANLEY HOSPITAL — STAFFING
677. Mr R.H. COOK to the
Minister for Health:
I refer the minister to his repeated assurances that health
jobs will grow with the development of Fiona Stanley Hospital, and figures
released by the Department of Health that show that over 500 staff will be
surplus to requirements when the new hospital opens.
(1) Will the minister guarantee
hospital workers that they will have a job —
The SPEAKER : Sit
down, please. A new question is being asked of the Minister for Health. Can you
start again, please.
Mr R.H. COOK :
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
I refer to the minister's
repeated assurances that health jobs will grow with the development of Fiona
Stanley Hospital, and figures released by the Department of Health that show
that over 500 staff will be surplus to requirements when the new hospital
opens.
(1) Will the
minister guarantee hospital workers that they will have a job when Fiona
Stanley Hospital opens?
(2) If the
minister will not give such a guarantee, is not this just another example of
his government's dishonesty?
STANLEY HOSPITAL — STAFFING
677. Mr R.H. COOK to the
Minister for Health:
I refer the minister to his repeated assurances that health
jobs will grow with the development of Fiona Stanley Hospital, and figures
released by the Department of Health that show that over 500 staff will be
surplus to requirements when the new hospital opens.
(1) Will the minister guarantee
hospital workers that they will have a job —
The SPEAKER : Sit
down, please. A new question is being asked of the Minister for Health. Can you
start again, please.
Mr R.H. COOK :
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
I refer to the minister's
repeated assurances that health jobs will grow with the development of Fiona
Stanley Hospital, and figures released by the Department of Health that show
that over 500 staff will be surplus to requirements when the new hospital
opens.
(1) Will the
minister guarantee hospital workers that they will have a job when Fiona
Stanley Hospital opens?
(2) If the
minister will not give such a guarantee, is not this just another example of
his government's dishonesty?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2)
One thing that I can say, and that I have said over and over again, is that
people who are permanent staff within the health system will have a job—are
guaranteed to have a job. I do not know whether that covers what the member
just said.
Mr R.H. Cook interjected.
Dr K.D. HAMES : I
do not know that it covers that last component. But permanent workers are
guaranteed a job. When we look at the rearrangement of health services
throughout this state, there is a significant increase in the number of beds.
There will be just over 100 additional beds within the system that will start
when Fiona Stanley Hospital opens and an extra 120 beds in the system when
Midland opens. There are already additional beds that have been put in the
system since this government has been in office, including the Joondalup beds
and the beds in Rockingham—something that started under the member's
government. So those things have been happening. There have been increases in
the number of beds and there will be more increases in the number of beds. What
we have to do, of course, as part of that, is get the balance right of moving
from one hospital to another. Apart from us keeping Royal Perth Hospital, which
was a major initiative on our part, we are closing Royal Perth Rehabilitation
Hospital at Shenton Park, as the member's government was going to do;
Fremantle Hospital capacity will go down by one-third; and Royal Perth Hospital's
capacity will go down by one-third. There are massive rearrangements of jobs
that have to occur. Remember, of course, that we contracted out, as the member
knows, to Serco a component of those jobs that are currently at Royal Perth,
and that now will be provided by the private sector. That private sector is in
the process of recruiting people, and they will be employing lots of staff, as
will St John of God Health Care, which is managing the public hospital at
Midland; it will also be employing lots of staff. There are lots of jobs that
are still going around. Those extra hospital beds will require staffing. But we
have to get the balance right. With the budget being as tight as it is, we
cannot afford to go over the allocation that is given to Health, which has
already been a significant increase on our previous year's funding. We
have had a big increase in funds, but we cannot go beyond that, because we are
already using up 28 per cent of the total state government expenditure on
health. We cannot afford to go beyond that. We have got to get it right.
Mr D.J. Kelly interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Bassendean!
Dr K.D. HAMES : We
are saving massive amounts of money by doing it the way we have done it—massive
amounts of money—and I have been through those figures before.
The member's lot said that if they were in
government, they would disband all that private sector contracting out, yet
they are talking about getting down debt! They cannot have it one way and say
something different. They cannot keep doing that. Our way of doing it is right—it
is best for the taxpayer; it is best for the patients; and it will be a good
outcome. We will be working very hard to make sure that we move the staff
around in a way that satisfies them. It is tough, and I apologise to those
staff who are still uncertain and whose position has not yet been made clear.
But over the six months to come, there will be turmoil and it will be
difficult, but we will do our best to make sure that people are well informed.
One thing that I can say, and that I have said over and over again, is that
people who are permanent staff within the health system will have a job—are
guaranteed to have a job. I do not know whether that covers what the member
just said.
Mr R.H. Cook interjected.
Dr K.D. HAMES : I
do not know that it covers that last component. But permanent workers are
guaranteed a job. When we look at the rearrangement of health services
throughout this state, there is a significant increase in the number of beds.
There will be just over 100 additional beds within the system that will start
when Fiona Stanley Hospital opens and an extra 120 beds in the system when
Midland opens. There are already additional beds that have been put in the
system since this government has been in office, including the Joondalup beds
and the beds in Rockingham—something that started under the member's
government. So those things have been happening. There have been increases in
the number of beds and there will be more increases in the number of beds. What
we have to do, of course, as part of that, is get the balance right of moving
from one hospital to another. Apart from us keeping Royal Perth Hospital, which
was a major initiative on our part, we are closing Royal Perth Rehabilitation
Hospital at Shenton Park, as the member's government was going to do;
Fremantle Hospital capacity will go down by one-third; and Royal Perth Hospital's
capacity will go down by one-third. There are massive rearrangements of jobs
that have to occur. Remember, of course, that we contracted out, as the member
knows, to Serco a component of those jobs that are currently at Royal Perth,
and that now will be provided by the private sector. That private sector is in
the process of recruiting people, and they will be employing lots of staff, as
will St John of God Health Care, which is managing the public hospital at
Midland; it will also be employing lots of staff. There are lots of jobs that
are still going around. Those extra hospital beds will require staffing. But we
have to get the balance right. With the budget being as tight as it is, we
cannot afford to go over the allocation that is given to Health, which has
already been a significant increase on our previous year's funding. We
have had a big increase in funds, but we cannot go beyond that, because we are
already using up 28 per cent of the total state government expenditure on
health. We cannot afford to go beyond that. We have got to get it right.
Mr D.J. Kelly interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Bassendean!
Dr K.D. HAMES : We
are saving massive amounts of money by doing it the way we have done it—massive
amounts of money—and I have been through those figures before.
The member's lot said that if they were in
government, they would disband all that private sector contracting out, yet
they are talking about getting down debt! They cannot have it one way and say
something different. They cannot keep doing that. Our way of doing it is right—it
is best for the taxpayer; it is best for the patients; and it will be a good
outcome. We will be working very hard to make sure that we move the staff
around in a way that satisfies them. It is tough, and I apologise to those
staff who are still uncertain and whose position has not yet been made clear.
But over the six months to come, there will be turmoil and it will be
difficult, but we will do our best to make sure that people are well informed.
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