❓ Mr. Wyatt questions the Minister for Health regarding the future of elective surgery and obstetrics at Bentley Hospital, referencing previous commitments. The Minister confirms the elective surgery commitment but hedges on obstetrics, citing a review after Fiona Stanley Hospital's opening and criticising the previous Labor government's plans.
AnsweredQoN 68Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
BENTLEY HOSPITAL — ELECTIVE SURGERY AND
OBSTETRICS
68. Mr B.S. WYATT to the Minister for
Health:
I refer to the meeting last week at
Bentley Hospital in which the future direction of Bentley Health Service was
discussed.
(1) Given the
minister's commitment in 2010 that elective surgery procedures would
continue beyond 2014, can the minister today confirm that all elective surgery
procedures will continue beyond 30 June 2015?
(2) Given the
minister's statement in 2012 that if the number of births is —
...
getting close to the 1 000 that are needed, we will � reinvest whatever dollars
are required to bring that up to a high-quality obstetric service —
I note that last year there were 1 044 births. Will the
minister guarantee obstetrics stay at Bentley Health Service and receive the
upgrade as the minister promised?
OBSTETRICS
68. Mr B.S. WYATT to the Minister for
Health:
I refer to the meeting last week at
Bentley Hospital in which the future direction of Bentley Health Service was
discussed.
(1) Given the
minister's commitment in 2010 that elective surgery procedures would
continue beyond 2014, can the minister today confirm that all elective surgery
procedures will continue beyond 30 June 2015?
(2) Given the
minister's statement in 2012 that if the number of births is —
...
getting close to the 1 000 that are needed, we will � reinvest whatever dollars
are required to bring that up to a high-quality obstetric service —
I note that last year there were 1 044 births. Will the
minister guarantee obstetrics stay at Bentley Health Service and receive the
upgrade as the minister promised?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
(1)–(2)
There is a bit of selective quoting there, because the member could have quoted some other statements that I
have made about Bentley Hospital, largely around maternity services. My
commitment regarding maternity services is that we would wait six months after
the opening of Fiona Stanley Hospital to look at the numbers there. It is not
in that statement, obviously, but I have said it in other press releases and
other public statements. In fact, I made a statement with the federal member on
the steps of Bentley Hospital in which I said—I have said it numerous
times publicly—that we would wait for six months after the opening of
Fiona Stanley Hospital to see the numbers. Members will remember a report that
was done by Professor Harry Cohen back, I think, under the member's
time in government, and it looked at the number of deliveries needed for a safe
maternity hospital. He said something in the order of 1 000 beds. I remember at
the time that the Labor government was going
to close Osborne Park Hospital. I think the member for Mirrabooka would
have been devastated if Labor had done that, given that she and her mum were born
there. The Labor government was going to close that hospital when it was seeing
1 000 delivery patients a year. We announced that we would not close it. In
Bentley, we made the same announcement: if in six months there was fewer than that number,
chances are we will close it—as Labor was going to do under its plan when it was in government; it
was going to close Bentley Hospital maternity services. I am the one who saved
it—remember?
Mr
B.S. Wyatt : Can the minister guarantee it?
Dr
K.D. HAMES : No; I have guaranteed exactly what I said. Listen —
Mr
B.S. Wyatt interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Victoria Park!
Dr
K.D. HAMES : I will get to
that. What I have guaranteed is exactly what I have said. If Bentley Hospital
is doing that number of deliveries six months after Fiona Stanley Hospital has
opened—patients do not vote with their feet and all go to the fantastic
services offered at Fiona Stanley Hospital—I will keep it open and do
those things I said.
In relation to the surgery, I made
that commitment in 2010, and I stand by it. We have just discovered that some discussions were afoot within the
Department of Health to change that plan.
Mr
B.S. Wyatt interjected.
Dr K.D. HAMES : We
discovered very recently that the department was planning to change it, and I
have given instructions that that is not to occur. That is now being put in
place. The reason is that I believe it is critical that waitlist surgery
continues at that hospital, which is the same position as when I made the
statement in 2010. Those were the plans in 2010. Members opposite might laugh,
but I think it was under the Labor government's health plan under the
former Minister for Health that services were being cut back. Again, we were the ones who decided to keep
it. Before the member throws too much bloody mud around, he should sit down and
do a bit of research into Labor's history—or perhaps the member
is too lazy.
(1)–(2)
There is a bit of selective quoting there, because the member could have quoted some other statements that I
have made about Bentley Hospital, largely around maternity services. My
commitment regarding maternity services is that we would wait six months after
the opening of Fiona Stanley Hospital to look at the numbers there. It is not
in that statement, obviously, but I have said it in other press releases and
other public statements. In fact, I made a statement with the federal member on
the steps of Bentley Hospital in which I said—I have said it numerous
times publicly—that we would wait for six months after the opening of
Fiona Stanley Hospital to see the numbers. Members will remember a report that
was done by Professor Harry Cohen back, I think, under the member's
time in government, and it looked at the number of deliveries needed for a safe
maternity hospital. He said something in the order of 1 000 beds. I remember at
the time that the Labor government was going
to close Osborne Park Hospital. I think the member for Mirrabooka would
have been devastated if Labor had done that, given that she and her mum were born
there. The Labor government was going to close that hospital when it was seeing
1 000 delivery patients a year. We announced that we would not close it. In
Bentley, we made the same announcement: if in six months there was fewer than that number,
chances are we will close it—as Labor was going to do under its plan when it was in government; it
was going to close Bentley Hospital maternity services. I am the one who saved
it—remember?
Mr
B.S. Wyatt : Can the minister guarantee it?
Dr
K.D. HAMES : No; I have guaranteed exactly what I said. Listen —
Mr
B.S. Wyatt interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Victoria Park!
Dr
K.D. HAMES : I will get to
that. What I have guaranteed is exactly what I have said. If Bentley Hospital
is doing that number of deliveries six months after Fiona Stanley Hospital has
opened—patients do not vote with their feet and all go to the fantastic
services offered at Fiona Stanley Hospital—I will keep it open and do
those things I said.
In relation to the surgery, I made
that commitment in 2010, and I stand by it. We have just discovered that some discussions were afoot within the
Department of Health to change that plan.
Mr
B.S. Wyatt interjected.
Dr K.D. HAMES : We
discovered very recently that the department was planning to change it, and I
have given instructions that that is not to occur. That is now being put in
place. The reason is that I believe it is critical that waitlist surgery
continues at that hospital, which is the same position as when I made the
statement in 2010. Those were the plans in 2010. Members opposite might laugh,
but I think it was under the Labor government's health plan under the
former Minister for Health that services were being cut back. Again, we were the ones who decided to keep
it. Before the member throws too much bloody mud around, he should sit down and
do a bit of research into Labor's history—or perhaps the member
is too lazy.
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