❓ Mr. Cook questions potential staff cuts at Bentley Hospital due to the Fiona Stanley Hospital transition. The Minister denies the reported cuts, citing a leaked document and emphasizing overall staff increases across the region while aiming for national efficiency.
AnsweredQoN 427Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
BENTLEY HOSPITAL — STAFF
427. Mr R.H. COOK to the Minister for
Health:
I refer to the impending staffing
cuts to Bentley Hospital of up to 20 per cent of the current staff.
(1) Can the
minister confirm cuts of more than 100 staff, as reported by ABC news yesterday
evening?
(2) Are other
hospitals due to receive similar staffing cuts as part of the transition to Fiona
Stanley Hospital?
(3) If these cuts
are being made in anticipation of Fiona Stanley Hospital positions, why are
these positions not simply being transitioned straight through to that campus?
427. Mr R.H. COOK to the Minister for
Health:
I refer to the impending staffing
cuts to Bentley Hospital of up to 20 per cent of the current staff.
(1) Can the
minister confirm cuts of more than 100 staff, as reported by ABC news yesterday
evening?
(2) Are other
hospitals due to receive similar staffing cuts as part of the transition to Fiona
Stanley Hospital?
(3) If these cuts
are being made in anticipation of Fiona Stanley Hospital positions, why are
these positions not simply being transitioned straight through to that campus?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) The
report on the news last night was not correct. The journalist was using some
documents, and I have done an interview on that matter today to explain where
the error occurred. We are part of a national partnership agreement on funding,
which has a national efficient price. That national efficient price is based on
the price for which hospital services across the nation should be able to
deliver a particular service. In fact, we are transitioning—as I am
sure members will see through the budget—to that price over the next
four years. We will put forward the argument that, although that is a national
efficient price, it is very difficult for Western Australian hospitals to meet
it because of two things. One is that we pay our nurses significantly more than
other states, particularly after the last agreement was put in place. Also, we
pay doctors more than is paid in other states, particularly because of our
difficulty in getting doctors and some of the costs associated with providing
doctors in the regions.
Because we are such an isolated state, we are providing services that would not be provided by other
states with similar populations. For example, we provide a transplant service
because we do not want people to have to go all the way to the eastern states.
We will put forward those arguments in the future. The document that went out
was an attempt by the South Metropolitan Region to work out the necessary
number of full-time equivalent positions across that system to meet that
national efficient price. It was the start of negotiations and discussions with
those staff to see how we could get the most efficient service.
In the transition to Fiona Stanley
Hospital, if we combine Royal Perth Hospital, not including the rehabilitation
facility, Fremantle Hospital, Fiona Stanley Hospital and Bentley Hospital, the
net effect of the change to the opening of Fiona Stanley Hospital will be plus
200 beds. An additional 200 beds will be in the system, which is about 1 000
extra staff. Rather than talking about the issue of whether 100 staff —
Mr
B.S. Wyatt : Does Treasury know that?
Dr
K.D. HAMES : Of course it does. It is part of the ''WA Health
Clinical Services Framework 2010–2020''. Those are the realities
of what will happen. There will be an additional 1 000 staff across the region.
Amongst that we have to reach efficiency. We are currently above that efficient
price. We need to work out how to amalgamate all those things and provide the
most efficient service we can within our funding constraints. Bentley Hospital
will retain the present number of beds—depending, of course, on what
happens with obstetrics—and, therefore, it will need the same number of
staff. If obstetrics moves and ceases to be at that hospital, as was proposed
by the Labor Party, there will be a reduction in numbers. However, that
document is not a relevant document. It was the start of consultation and
negotiation across the whole system about where patients should go. It was
leaked, of course, which is why there is no explanation or discussion around it
to explain what the document is. In the total concept of staff numbers, it has
no relevance.
report on the news last night was not correct. The journalist was using some
documents, and I have done an interview on that matter today to explain where
the error occurred. We are part of a national partnership agreement on funding,
which has a national efficient price. That national efficient price is based on
the price for which hospital services across the nation should be able to
deliver a particular service. In fact, we are transitioning—as I am
sure members will see through the budget—to that price over the next
four years. We will put forward the argument that, although that is a national
efficient price, it is very difficult for Western Australian hospitals to meet
it because of two things. One is that we pay our nurses significantly more than
other states, particularly after the last agreement was put in place. Also, we
pay doctors more than is paid in other states, particularly because of our
difficulty in getting doctors and some of the costs associated with providing
doctors in the regions.
Because we are such an isolated state, we are providing services that would not be provided by other
states with similar populations. For example, we provide a transplant service
because we do not want people to have to go all the way to the eastern states.
We will put forward those arguments in the future. The document that went out
was an attempt by the South Metropolitan Region to work out the necessary
number of full-time equivalent positions across that system to meet that
national efficient price. It was the start of negotiations and discussions with
those staff to see how we could get the most efficient service.
In the transition to Fiona Stanley
Hospital, if we combine Royal Perth Hospital, not including the rehabilitation
facility, Fremantle Hospital, Fiona Stanley Hospital and Bentley Hospital, the
net effect of the change to the opening of Fiona Stanley Hospital will be plus
200 beds. An additional 200 beds will be in the system, which is about 1 000
extra staff. Rather than talking about the issue of whether 100 staff —
Mr
B.S. Wyatt : Does Treasury know that?
Dr
K.D. HAMES : Of course it does. It is part of the ''WA Health
Clinical Services Framework 2010–2020''. Those are the realities
of what will happen. There will be an additional 1 000 staff across the region.
Amongst that we have to reach efficiency. We are currently above that efficient
price. We need to work out how to amalgamate all those things and provide the
most efficient service we can within our funding constraints. Bentley Hospital
will retain the present number of beds—depending, of course, on what
happens with obstetrics—and, therefore, it will need the same number of
staff. If obstetrics moves and ceases to be at that hospital, as was proposed
by the Labor Party, there will be a reduction in numbers. However, that
document is not a relevant document. It was the start of consultation and
negotiation across the whole system about where patients should go. It was
leaked, of course, which is why there is no explanation or discussion around it
to explain what the document is. In the total concept of staff numbers, it has
no relevance.
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