❓ Hon Giz Watson questions the Minister for Health on the development, funding, and implementation of the Western Australian Women's Health Strategy 2012-2015, focusing on preventative care, resource allocation, and addressing the needs of vulnerable women in low socio-economic communities. The Minister's response provides updates on the strategy's progress, funding, and future plans.
AnsweredQoN 5948Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
Referring to the Western Australian Women's Health Strategy 2012–2015 which is currently under development, I ask —
(1) When will the Women's Health Strategy 2012-2015 be formally endorsed by the Government and released to the public?
(2) Please update on the current stage of the process?
(3) How many full time equivalent employees in the department are working on the strategy?
(4) What budget has the department allocated to this work?
(5) What additional financial and staffing resources will be allocated to the Women's Health Unit to implement the Women's Health Strategy action plans?
(6) What resources will be allocated for the evaluation of the Western Australian Women's Health Strategy 2012–2015?
(7) The Minister has stated that the Strategy will enable the development of a health funding model to address health priorities and include the long term sustainability for women's health centres. What new core funding will be made available to women's health centres to address sustainability and growth to continue to address the State's health priorities for women?
(8) The National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission drew attention to the dilemma of Australia's poor record in delivery of preventive health care. The Commission pointed out that less than 2 per cent of the Health Budget in 2009 was spent on preventive services, with a disastrous impact on the total cost of hospital and medical care. As the National Primary Health Care Strategy (2009) primary health and the National Preventive Health Task Force (2009) argued, Australia's primary health care system and community-based preventive and outreach services must be strengthened, particularly in low socio-economic communities, if population health is to improve, and I ask —
(a) is the Minister aware of these comments;
(b) does the Minister agree with these comments; and
(c) if yes to (b), how does the Minister intend to address the at risk women in low socio-economic communities, especially in the outer suburbs of the northern corridor?
(9) Improving population health in Australia is fundamental to relieving the stress on hospital and medical systems, which in turn can save Government large amounts of taxpayer's money by investing in improving population health. As the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has shown, Australia already has very high hospitalisation rates by international standards and high levels of avoidable hospitalisation. Given this, what plans does the Minister have to ensure women are kept out of avoidable high cost hospital care and have better assess to community based women's health centre services that work with the preventative model of health care?
(10) The Minister has previously stated that, the first action plan will be for 2013, and I ask —
(a) what strategy is the department following to address women's health in the interim; and
(b) in the interim, given that the services provided by community based women's health centres are already oversubscribed, can the Minister give details of how already existing crisis issues that impact on women's health and wellbeing, for example drug and alcohol abuse/domestic violence, will be addressed?
(11) The Minister arbitrarily gave $90,000 for new health services to be provided to culturally and linguistically diverse women who make up 6 per cent of the population in the Clarkson, Merriwa area, and I ask —
(a) does the Minister acknowledge that the other 94 per cent of women and their families in this same geographical location are at risk because he has not given a proportionate amount of money for their health and wellbeing needs;
(b) if no to (a), why not; and
(c) if yes to (a), what immediate sustainable funding will the Minister allocate to Women's Healthworks to address mainstream women and their families' health and wellbeing issues given that they cannot respond to demand due to lack of resources?
(1) When will the Women's Health Strategy 2012-2015 be formally endorsed by the Government and released to the public?
(2) Please update on the current stage of the process?
(3) How many full time equivalent employees in the department are working on the strategy?
(4) What budget has the department allocated to this work?
(5) What additional financial and staffing resources will be allocated to the Women's Health Unit to implement the Women's Health Strategy action plans?
(6) What resources will be allocated for the evaluation of the Western Australian Women's Health Strategy 2012–2015?
(7) The Minister has stated that the Strategy will enable the development of a health funding model to address health priorities and include the long term sustainability for women's health centres. What new core funding will be made available to women's health centres to address sustainability and growth to continue to address the State's health priorities for women?
(8) The National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission drew attention to the dilemma of Australia's poor record in delivery of preventive health care. The Commission pointed out that less than 2 per cent of the Health Budget in 2009 was spent on preventive services, with a disastrous impact on the total cost of hospital and medical care. As the National Primary Health Care Strategy (2009) primary health and the National Preventive Health Task Force (2009) argued, Australia's primary health care system and community-based preventive and outreach services must be strengthened, particularly in low socio-economic communities, if population health is to improve, and I ask —
(a) is the Minister aware of these comments;
(b) does the Minister agree with these comments; and
(c) if yes to (b), how does the Minister intend to address the at risk women in low socio-economic communities, especially in the outer suburbs of the northern corridor?
(9) Improving population health in Australia is fundamental to relieving the stress on hospital and medical systems, which in turn can save Government large amounts of taxpayer's money by investing in improving population health. As the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has shown, Australia already has very high hospitalisation rates by international standards and high levels of avoidable hospitalisation. Given this, what plans does the Minister have to ensure women are kept out of avoidable high cost hospital care and have better assess to community based women's health centre services that work with the preventative model of health care?
(10) The Minister has previously stated that, the first action plan will be for 2013, and I ask —
(a) what strategy is the department following to address women's health in the interim; and
(b) in the interim, given that the services provided by community based women's health centres are already oversubscribed, can the Minister give details of how already existing crisis issues that impact on women's health and wellbeing, for example drug and alcohol abuse/domestic violence, will be addressed?
(11) The Minister arbitrarily gave $90,000 for new health services to be provided to culturally and linguistically diverse women who make up 6 per cent of the population in the Clarkson, Merriwa area, and I ask —
(a) does the Minister acknowledge that the other 94 per cent of women and their families in this same geographical location are at risk because he has not given a proportionate amount of money for their health and wellbeing needs;
(b) if no to (a), why not; and
(c) if yes to (a), what immediate sustainable funding will the Minister allocate to Women's Healthworks to address mainstream women and their families' health and wellbeing issues given that they cannot respond to demand due to lack of resources?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
11 September 2012
Responded by
Minister for Mental Health representing the Minister for Health
Response time
19 days
(1) Early in the new year of 2013.
(2) Based upon extensive consultation, the draft Strategy will now comprise two documents: evidence base and population data that supports the key strategic priorities and the key strategic priorities will be in a separate document. The two draft documents are now in the process of being finalised and for a final review.
(3) 0.8 FTE.
(4) Salary component of the staff member and other goods and services costs as necessary to complete the work and to produce and print the documents.
(5) Once the Strategy has been endorsed, analysis of requirements will be undertaken.
(6) The expectation is that a Senior Officers Group will be formed across Health and this will provide the leadership for implementation and monitoring of the strategic priorities and action plans. Evaluation will be under the auspice of the Senior Officers Group.
(7) In some instances it may be more appropriate to undertake service re-design rather than provide additional resourcing. Statewide business cases may apply should additional resourcing requirements be identified.
(8)(a) Yes.
(b) The honourable member is seeking the Minister for Health's opinion contrary to Legislative Council standing order 104(1)(b).
(c) Substantive equality and gender equity are the primary principles underpinning the Strategy. In addition, targeting vulnerable and high risk groups are also integral to the Strategy. Any initiatives will need to address high risk groups of women and be measured against the core principles. The northern corridor is one area that has been identified as an area of need, as have others in the east and south eastern corridor and the Kimberleyand Pilbara regions.
(9) Women and Newborn Health Service (WNHS) liaises and meets regularly with the metropolitan and regional women's health centres. Under the new government policy of partnering with the not for profit sector, there is now opportunity to develop new service agreements with outcomes centred around Strategy principles and priorities. Women's health centres will have the opportunity to tailor their services that best meet the needs of their local communities and to work within a preventative and population based models of care.
(10)(a) Current practice will be maintained until endorsement of the Strategy. This includes working closely with the women's health centres and understanding their particular service needs.
(b) The not for profit services in women's health, mental health and sexual violence for example work collaboratively with the appropriate primary, secondary and tertiary health sector. Within the health sector there are 24 hour, 7 day a week services for crisis management as well as services that can provide counselling and support to women and their families when women's health centres are unable to meet their needs in an appropriate manner.
(11)(a - b) Allocation of funding to the not for profit sector is based upon considered business cases that demonstrate need and can deliver agreed outcomes. The culturally and linguistically diverse group of women are recognised as a high needs/risk and vulnerable group.
(c) The government has already provided a 15% sustainability increase in funding to all women's health centres in the last financial year and are in the process of passing on an average of 10% increase in funding over the next two financial years.
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(2) Based upon extensive consultation, the draft Strategy will now comprise two documents: evidence base and population data that supports the key strategic priorities and the key strategic priorities will be in a separate document. The two draft documents are now in the process of being finalised and for a final review.
(3) 0.8 FTE.
(4) Salary component of the staff member and other goods and services costs as necessary to complete the work and to produce and print the documents.
(5) Once the Strategy has been endorsed, analysis of requirements will be undertaken.
(6) The expectation is that a Senior Officers Group will be formed across Health and this will provide the leadership for implementation and monitoring of the strategic priorities and action plans. Evaluation will be under the auspice of the Senior Officers Group.
(7) In some instances it may be more appropriate to undertake service re-design rather than provide additional resourcing. Statewide business cases may apply should additional resourcing requirements be identified.
(8)(a) Yes.
(b) The honourable member is seeking the Minister for Health's opinion contrary to Legislative Council standing order 104(1)(b).
(c) Substantive equality and gender equity are the primary principles underpinning the Strategy. In addition, targeting vulnerable and high risk groups are also integral to the Strategy. Any initiatives will need to address high risk groups of women and be measured against the core principles. The northern corridor is one area that has been identified as an area of need, as have others in the east and south eastern corridor and the Kimberleyand Pilbara regions.
(9) Women and Newborn Health Service (WNHS) liaises and meets regularly with the metropolitan and regional women's health centres. Under the new government policy of partnering with the not for profit sector, there is now opportunity to develop new service agreements with outcomes centred around Strategy principles and priorities. Women's health centres will have the opportunity to tailor their services that best meet the needs of their local communities and to work within a preventative and population based models of care.
(10)(a) Current practice will be maintained until endorsement of the Strategy. This includes working closely with the women's health centres and understanding their particular service needs.
(b) The not for profit services in women's health, mental health and sexual violence for example work collaboratively with the appropriate primary, secondary and tertiary health sector. Within the health sector there are 24 hour, 7 day a week services for crisis management as well as services that can provide counselling and support to women and their families when women's health centres are unable to meet their needs in an appropriate manner.
(11)(a - b) Allocation of funding to the not for profit sector is based upon considered business cases that demonstrate need and can deliver agreed outcomes. The culturally and linguistically diverse group of women are recognised as a high needs/risk and vulnerable group.
(c) The government has already provided a 15% sustainability increase in funding to all women's health centres in the last financial year and are in the process of passing on an average of 10% increase in funding over the next two financial years.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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