❓ The Minister for Health outlines the government's investment in recruiting more doctors, nurses, and midwives, detailing strategies like international recruitment, refresher courses, and graduate programs, while also addressing criticisms regarding nurse recruitment numbers.
AnsweredQoN 367Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HEALTH — WORKFORCE — RECRUITMENT
367. Ms E.L. HAMILTON to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's massive investment of $1.9 billion into our health system.
Can the minister outline to the house how
this investment will help deliver more doctors, nurses and midwives for our
health system, and advise the house on what strategies will be
undertaken to recruit more health staff for our hospitals?
367. Ms E.L. HAMILTON to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's massive investment of $1.9 billion into our health system.
Can the minister outline to the house how
this investment will help deliver more doctors, nurses and midwives for our
health system, and advise the house on what strategies will be
undertaken to recruit more health staff for our hospitals?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the
question. It is a very important one. As members will be aware, the Premier and
I committed to an extra 332 beds over the weekend as part of our significant
expansion of the hospital system. It will require an extra 100 doctors and 500
nurses for that alone. But we have to recruit more. There is no point in having
more beds unless we can have more doctors and nurses to stand by those beds to
provide world-class health care for the people of Western Australia. When we
came to office, there were 34 700 members of our health team. Today, there are
over 39 000; that is a 14 per cent increase in just our first term. Forty-five
per cent of all public sector jobs were
created in the health system to continue to provide great health care. In just
the first six months of this year, we
have recruited more than 750 FTE nursing and midwifery staff into our health
services, and there will be more. But the labour market for doctors and
nurses is very tight. Because of the situation with our international borders,
we cannot recruit as many overseas doctors and nurses who would usually come to
this great state as part of their ongoing career opportunities.
Today
we announced a significant investment in a campaign to ensure that we get more
nurses in our health system . We are investing $71.6 million into a health
workforce attraction and retention strategy. The budget will commit an extra
$35.6 million for new workforce initiatives. That is on top of the $36 million
election commitment that focused on providing 600 more graduate nurses.
Let me start with the international
and interstate strategy. As we speak, we are bringing in 209 junior doctors
from the UK and Ireland to start work in the WA health system in the next few
months. We are spending $2 million on an
even more targeted international, national and local advertising campaign. A
key focus of the recruitment strategy to
attract experienced nurses and midwives back into the workforce. We will
provide refresher courses free of charge , which were paused during the COVID-19 pandemic, for experienced nurses
and midwives, to either bring them back into the system or to assist others to upgrade their skills. These
refresher courses will provide for a smooth transition back into the
health system. The McGowan government will fully fund the cost of online
refresher training and facilitate paid
clinical placements for those who have completed the training. In addition, we
want to not only make sure that we
continue to engage as many experienced nurses and midwives as possible, but
also make sure that they are supported by great nursing graduates. In a typical
year, about 700 graduates will be offered places in the health system. As a result
of this initiative, this will come on top of the 600 new graduates and nurses
already promised. This year, 1 100 new graduates will receive jobs.
I draw this to your attention, Madam
Speaker, because I think all members of the chamber should be concerned about
this. It is important for an opposition to know that if it is going to make
accusations against a government and its efforts to recruit, it should do so in
a way that is truthful to the people of the Western Australian community. I was disturbed to see a tweet from the member for
Cottesloe recently that said, ''We were promised 1 000 new nurses . Cook delivered none.'' Let me take
the opportunity to explain, again in very slow English, to the member for
Cottesloe that to date we have recruited 927 of those 1 100 nurse
graduates—they are already in our system, working the wards of the WA
health system and providing great support to our experienced doctors and
nurses. By the end of the month, that will have increased to 949.
This
is a tough job. The spike in demand in our hospitals is putting the hospital
system under great pressure, but we are bringing the resources and extra
doctors and nurses to bear. One thing that this health system should not have
to bear is the untruthfulness of those opposite and their tweets in the
community.
question. It is a very important one. As members will be aware, the Premier and
I committed to an extra 332 beds over the weekend as part of our significant
expansion of the hospital system. It will require an extra 100 doctors and 500
nurses for that alone. But we have to recruit more. There is no point in having
more beds unless we can have more doctors and nurses to stand by those beds to
provide world-class health care for the people of Western Australia. When we
came to office, there were 34 700 members of our health team. Today, there are
over 39 000; that is a 14 per cent increase in just our first term. Forty-five
per cent of all public sector jobs were
created in the health system to continue to provide great health care. In just
the first six months of this year, we
have recruited more than 750 FTE nursing and midwifery staff into our health
services, and there will be more. But the labour market for doctors and
nurses is very tight. Because of the situation with our international borders,
we cannot recruit as many overseas doctors and nurses who would usually come to
this great state as part of their ongoing career opportunities.
Today
we announced a significant investment in a campaign to ensure that we get more
nurses in our health system . We are investing $71.6 million into a health
workforce attraction and retention strategy. The budget will commit an extra
$35.6 million for new workforce initiatives. That is on top of the $36 million
election commitment that focused on providing 600 more graduate nurses.
Let me start with the international
and interstate strategy. As we speak, we are bringing in 209 junior doctors
from the UK and Ireland to start work in the WA health system in the next few
months. We are spending $2 million on an
even more targeted international, national and local advertising campaign. A
key focus of the recruitment strategy to
attract experienced nurses and midwives back into the workforce. We will
provide refresher courses free of charge , which were paused during the COVID-19 pandemic, for experienced nurses
and midwives, to either bring them back into the system or to assist others to upgrade their skills. These
refresher courses will provide for a smooth transition back into the
health system. The McGowan government will fully fund the cost of online
refresher training and facilitate paid
clinical placements for those who have completed the training. In addition, we
want to not only make sure that we
continue to engage as many experienced nurses and midwives as possible, but
also make sure that they are supported by great nursing graduates. In a typical
year, about 700 graduates will be offered places in the health system. As a result
of this initiative, this will come on top of the 600 new graduates and nurses
already promised. This year, 1 100 new graduates will receive jobs.
I draw this to your attention, Madam
Speaker, because I think all members of the chamber should be concerned about
this. It is important for an opposition to know that if it is going to make
accusations against a government and its efforts to recruit, it should do so in
a way that is truthful to the people of the Western Australian community. I was disturbed to see a tweet from the member for
Cottesloe recently that said, ''We were promised 1 000 new nurses . Cook delivered none.'' Let me take
the opportunity to explain, again in very slow English, to the member for
Cottesloe that to date we have recruited 927 of those 1 100 nurse
graduates—they are already in our system, working the wards of the WA
health system and providing great support to our experienced doctors and
nurses. By the end of the month, that will have increased to 949.
This
is a tough job. The spike in demand in our hospitals is putting the hospital
system under great pressure, but we are bringing the resources and extra
doctors and nurses to bear. One thing that this health system should not have
to bear is the untruthfulness of those opposite and their tweets in the
community.
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