❓ Ms. Mettam questions the Minister for Health about ICU nurse staffing levels given the availability of ventilators. The Minister responds by outlining recruitment efforts and criticizes the opposition's stance on vaccination.
AnsweredQoN 684Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS — INTENSIVE
CARE UNITS — SURGE CAPACITY
684. Ms L. METTAM to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the government's
COVID-19 intensive care unit surge capacity, as raised in the budget estimates,
which revealed that there were 363
ventilators on standby in the event of an outbreak. Given the specialist
training required to nurse ventilated ICU patients, how many extra ICU
nurses is WA likely to need in the event of an outbreak, and where will they
come from?
CARE UNITS — SURGE CAPACITY
684. Ms L. METTAM to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the government's
COVID-19 intensive care unit surge capacity, as raised in the budget estimates,
which revealed that there were 363
ventilators on standby in the event of an outbreak. Given the specialist
training required to nurse ventilated ICU patients, how many extra ICU
nurses is WA likely to need in the event of an outbreak, and where will they
come from?
AnswerView source ↗
We need more intensive care unit nurses,
theatre nurses and emergency department nurses. That is a specific focus of our
recruitment program, which, I might add, is part of our $76.1 million staffing
support package, including $2 million for a recruitment campaign that has been
running to date but which, on the weekend, went into overdrive as we launched
our multimedia campaign to support those recruitment processes. We will
continue to recruit and train. At the moment, we are undertaking a lot of work
to train nurses who want to get experience in an ICU setting and making sure
that they have the necessary skills.
The Western Australian community has
been gifted with the most extraordinary gift in relation to COVID-19—it
is called time. We have time to make sure that we get everything in place that
we need to. We are making sure that we make the very best of that time. The
best way we can spend that time as members of the community is to get ourselves
vaccinated, which is the reason why it is so disappointing that those opposite
are seeking to undermine that program, whether it is Hon Nick Goiran, Hon Ian
Goodenough, MP, or the spokesperson for the member for Cottesloe. We see that
right across team blue. They do not support the McGowan government's
campaign to get everyone vaccinated and to keep everyone safe. Once again,
members, and specifically the Leader of the Liberal Party, do the right thing and support the government. Let us do this
together to get everyone vaccinated because t hat is the way we will keep
them safe.
theatre nurses and emergency department nurses. That is a specific focus of our
recruitment program, which, I might add, is part of our $76.1 million staffing
support package, including $2 million for a recruitment campaign that has been
running to date but which, on the weekend, went into overdrive as we launched
our multimedia campaign to support those recruitment processes. We will
continue to recruit and train. At the moment, we are undertaking a lot of work
to train nurses who want to get experience in an ICU setting and making sure
that they have the necessary skills.
The Western Australian community has
been gifted with the most extraordinary gift in relation to COVID-19—it
is called time. We have time to make sure that we get everything in place that
we need to. We are making sure that we make the very best of that time. The
best way we can spend that time as members of the community is to get ourselves
vaccinated, which is the reason why it is so disappointing that those opposite
are seeking to undermine that program, whether it is Hon Nick Goiran, Hon Ian
Goodenough, MP, or the spokesperson for the member for Cottesloe. We see that
right across team blue. They do not support the McGowan government's
campaign to get everyone vaccinated and to keep everyone safe. Once again,
members, and specifically the Leader of the Liberal Party, do the right thing and support the government. Let us do this
together to get everyone vaccinated because t hat is the way we will keep
them safe.
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