❓ Ms. Mettam questions the Premier on the performance of the WA health system, citing issues like ambulance ramping and elective surgery waitlists. The Premier defends the government's record, highlighting increased health funding and workforce growth.
AnsweredQoN 389Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HOSPITALS —
PERFORMANCE
389. Ms L. METTAM to the Premier:
I refer to the litany of issues
plaguing our health system under the Premier's watch, with hospitals
failing to listen to parents' concerns, with tragic outcomes; patients
being forced to lie on floors in regional centres or in corridors because of
the rain; ambulance ramping hours up 936 per cent since May 2017 —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ms L. METTAM : — a 60
per cent increase in the number of people waiting for elective surgery,
equating to 30 000 patients; and constant code yellows and ambulance bypasses.
How can the Premier seriously claim
that his Minister for Health is doing a good job and the health system is
performing so well when, according to every available measure and his own
commentary in opposition, it clearly is not?
PERFORMANCE
389. Ms L. METTAM to the Premier:
I refer to the litany of issues
plaguing our health system under the Premier's watch, with hospitals
failing to listen to parents' concerns, with tragic outcomes; patients
being forced to lie on floors in regional centres or in corridors because of
the rain; ambulance ramping hours up 936 per cent since May 2017 —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ms L. METTAM : — a 60
per cent increase in the number of people waiting for elective surgery,
equating to 30 000 patients; and constant code yellows and ambulance bypasses.
How can the Premier seriously claim
that his Minister for Health is doing a good job and the health system is
performing so well when, according to every available measure and his own
commentary in opposition, it clearly is not?
AnswerView source ↗
One thing that we can always be
guaranteed is that health will always be better under a WA Labor government
than a Liberal–National coalition. We know that under the previous
government we had a reduction in the health workforce
of the state, so the system went backwards. We had fewer nurses, fewer
midwives, fewer doctors, fewer paediatricians —
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr R.H. COOK : — and
worse outcomes. That is why we are proud of our record, which has seen the
annual budget for health increase by 33 per cent since 2017. Importantly, one
statistic I am very proud of is that mental health funding has increased by 57
per cent, and Western Australia has the highest per capita spending on our hospitals of any state; it is 15 per cent above the
national average. We have also seen the significant investment in our
health workforce, with more than 4 000 new nurses and over 1 600 additional
doctors. That has been a growth in the health workforce of 30 per cent,
compared with the growth of Western Australia's population of just nine
per cent.
Yes, we have a really, really good
health minister. In fact, she is someone who is delivering for the people of Western
Australia. We have seen a significant reduction in ambulance ramping since the
COVID-19 experiences, which is down 21 per cent in 2023 compared with 2022. We
saw ambulance ramping go down by 44 per cent in December 2023 alone, compared
with December 2022. We are seeing fundamental reform in the way we are
delivering health care. We have virtual emergency departments, and we are doing
ongoing work to digitise our healthcare system through the electronic medical
record. They are life-changing and life-saving reforms that we are making to
our health system.
Is it perfect? No, it is not. We
understand that there is always more work to do, but I know that under a WA
Labor government that work will be done, and under a Liberal–National
government it will go backwards.
guaranteed is that health will always be better under a WA Labor government
than a Liberal–National coalition. We know that under the previous
government we had a reduction in the health workforce
of the state, so the system went backwards. We had fewer nurses, fewer
midwives, fewer doctors, fewer paediatricians —
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr R.H. COOK : — and
worse outcomes. That is why we are proud of our record, which has seen the
annual budget for health increase by 33 per cent since 2017. Importantly, one
statistic I am very proud of is that mental health funding has increased by 57
per cent, and Western Australia has the highest per capita spending on our hospitals of any state; it is 15 per cent above the
national average. We have also seen the significant investment in our
health workforce, with more than 4 000 new nurses and over 1 600 additional
doctors. That has been a growth in the health workforce of 30 per cent,
compared with the growth of Western Australia's population of just nine
per cent.
Yes, we have a really, really good
health minister. In fact, she is someone who is delivering for the people of Western
Australia. We have seen a significant reduction in ambulance ramping since the
COVID-19 experiences, which is down 21 per cent in 2023 compared with 2022. We
saw ambulance ramping go down by 44 per cent in December 2023 alone, compared
with December 2022. We are seeing fundamental reform in the way we are
delivering health care. We have virtual emergency departments, and we are doing
ongoing work to digitise our healthcare system through the electronic medical
record. They are life-changing and life-saving reforms that we are making to
our health system.
Is it perfect? No, it is not. We
understand that there is always more work to do, but I know that under a WA
Labor government that work will be done, and under a Liberal–National
government it will go backwards.
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