❓ Opposition questions the Premier's overseas nurse recruitment strategy, citing past actions and perceived lack of innovation. The Premier defends the government's record on increasing nurse numbers and highlights innovative approaches to healthcare.
AnsweredQoN 101Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
NURSES AND MIDWIVES — RECRUITMENT
101. Ms L. METTAM to the Premier:
I refer to the 10-day mission to
recruit overseas healthcare staff undertaken by the Minister for Health.
(1) Can the
Premier explain why we have to attract staff from overseas given that when he
was the Minister for Health, he relocated hundreds of nurses to the United
Kingdom in 2019, and that almost 70 per cent of applicants for graduate nurse
jobs in Western Australian public hospitals that year missed out?
(2) Will the Premier admit that his
government has simply run out of ideas and he is now —
Several members interjected.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER : Members!
The Leader of the Liberal Party had almost finished the question. Start the
second part again please, leader.
Ms L. METTAM : Will the
Premier now admit his government has simply run out of ideas and he is now
rehashing a failed 2007 Carpenter government idea?
101. Ms L. METTAM to the Premier:
I refer to the 10-day mission to
recruit overseas healthcare staff undertaken by the Minister for Health.
(1) Can the
Premier explain why we have to attract staff from overseas given that when he
was the Minister for Health, he relocated hundreds of nurses to the United
Kingdom in 2019, and that almost 70 per cent of applicants for graduate nurse
jobs in Western Australian public hospitals that year missed out?
(2) Will the Premier admit that his
government has simply run out of ideas and he is now —
Several members interjected.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER : Members!
The Leader of the Liberal Party had almost finished the question. Start the
second part again please, leader.
Ms L. METTAM : Will the
Premier now admit his government has simply run out of ideas and he is now
rehashing a failed 2007 Carpenter government idea?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) We
are the party in government that protects the health system. Under WA Labor,
Health always does better. Under WA Labor, Health always performs better. Since
2017, we have seen an increase of 4 000 additional nurses.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The DEPUTY
SPEAKER : Leader of the Liberal Party!
Mr R.H. COOK : Let us contrast
that with the time the others were in office. Between July 2015 and July 2016,
we saw a decrease of 645 nurses under the Liberal–National government.
Between September 2015 and July 2016, we saw a reduction of 60 midwives and 131
doctors. When the member comes into this place and critiques us on our
recruitment policies around nurses, please come in here with two things: one, a
half decent track record—fail; two, ideas—double fail.
It is true that we provided an opportunity
for some nurse graduates to get valuable workplace training in the Grampians
some years back to meet the practical requirements of their nursing course,
because at that time we had a significant increase in the number of people
studying nursing and we struggled to provide them all with the practical
experience they needed to complete their nursing qualifications. Roll forward
some years later and we are in a position to bring those nurses back to Western
Australia with an innovative solution to make sure that we continue to grow the
number of nurses who live, work and practise in Western Australia.
As I said, since 2017, an additional
4 000 nurses are now practising in our hospital system, and we will do more
through innovative technology that allows nurses to receive the support they
need through initiatives like the virtual emergency department or the health in
a virtual environment program, which provides an extra set of artificial intelligence eyes on a patient whose bedside they
might be standing next to. In other innovations, we are also looking to
opportunities to recruit nurses from overseas who want to take advantage of the
valuable opportunity of working in one of the world's best health
systems. Nurses from Ireland, England, Scotland and India are interested in
working in our system, so let us provide them with that opportunity when we
can. We know that we will continue to need more nurses in not only our
hospitals, but also other care settings, such as urgent care clinics, aged-care
accommodation and domestic visitations through great organisations like
Silverchain, which is a reality as a result of our ageing population. Nurses
will be a key workforce target for us now and in the years ahead. I am really
pleased that we have a health minister who is thinking creatively, innovatively
and out of the box and is looking at all options to continue to improve and
increase our great healthcare workforce.
are the party in government that protects the health system. Under WA Labor,
Health always does better. Under WA Labor, Health always performs better. Since
2017, we have seen an increase of 4 000 additional nurses.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The DEPUTY
SPEAKER : Leader of the Liberal Party!
Mr R.H. COOK : Let us contrast
that with the time the others were in office. Between July 2015 and July 2016,
we saw a decrease of 645 nurses under the Liberal–National government.
Between September 2015 and July 2016, we saw a reduction of 60 midwives and 131
doctors. When the member comes into this place and critiques us on our
recruitment policies around nurses, please come in here with two things: one, a
half decent track record—fail; two, ideas—double fail.
It is true that we provided an opportunity
for some nurse graduates to get valuable workplace training in the Grampians
some years back to meet the practical requirements of their nursing course,
because at that time we had a significant increase in the number of people
studying nursing and we struggled to provide them all with the practical
experience they needed to complete their nursing qualifications. Roll forward
some years later and we are in a position to bring those nurses back to Western
Australia with an innovative solution to make sure that we continue to grow the
number of nurses who live, work and practise in Western Australia.
As I said, since 2017, an additional
4 000 nurses are now practising in our hospital system, and we will do more
through innovative technology that allows nurses to receive the support they
need through initiatives like the virtual emergency department or the health in
a virtual environment program, which provides an extra set of artificial intelligence eyes on a patient whose bedside they
might be standing next to. In other innovations, we are also looking to
opportunities to recruit nurses from overseas who want to take advantage of the
valuable opportunity of working in one of the world's best health
systems. Nurses from Ireland, England, Scotland and India are interested in
working in our system, so let us provide them with that opportunity when we
can. We know that we will continue to need more nurses in not only our
hospitals, but also other care settings, such as urgent care clinics, aged-care
accommodation and domestic visitations through great organisations like
Silverchain, which is a reality as a result of our ageing population. Nurses
will be a key workforce target for us now and in the years ahead. I am really
pleased that we have a health minister who is thinking creatively, innovatively
and out of the box and is looking at all options to continue to improve and
increase our great healthcare workforce.
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