❓ A WA parliamentary question seeks clarification on the provision of school health nurses in public schools, including staffing levels, funding, and service delivery models. The response provides details on nurse allocation, funding limitations, and service delivery variations across the state.
AnsweredQoN 5874Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Health and the Department of Education for the provision of School Health Services for all students attending public schools, and also to the response to question without notice No. 362, dated 13 June 2012, regarding the number of school health nurses, and I ask —
(1) Are all Western Australian public schools provided with a school health nurse?
(2) If no to (1), how many schools do not have a school nurse located at the school?
(3) For the schools in (2), how do these schools access school health nurses?
(4) Is there any minimum requirement for school health nurse full time equivalent (FTE) at public schools?
(5) Are the additional 135 FTE school health staff that have been identified as being required specifically school health nurse positions?
(6) If no to (5), please detail the staffing profile of these positions.
(7) How much funding has been provided specifically for school health nurses in —
(a) 2011-12; and
(b) 2012-13?
(8) Of the 155 FTE school health nurses that are currently employed, where are these nurses located?
(1) Are all Western Australian public schools provided with a school health nurse?
(2) If no to (1), how many schools do not have a school nurse located at the school?
(3) For the schools in (2), how do these schools access school health nurses?
(4) Is there any minimum requirement for school health nurse full time equivalent (FTE) at public schools?
(5) Are the additional 135 FTE school health staff that have been identified as being required specifically school health nurse positions?
(6) If no to (5), please detail the staffing profile of these positions.
(7) How much funding has been provided specifically for school health nurses in —
(a) 2011-12; and
(b) 2012-13?
(8) Of the 155 FTE school health nurses that are currently employed, where are these nurses located?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
11 September 2012
Responded by
Minister for Mental Health representing the Minister for Health
Response time
28 days
(1) All Western Australian public schools are provided with access to school health services.
(2 -3) For most schools, a nurse is not located at the school on a full time basis. School health nurses may work across a number of schools. Four public primary schools in the Perthmetropolitan area have not yet been allocated school health nurse services for 2012, but will receive an allocation before the end of the school year in time to complete the school entry health assessments. These assessments are offered in the year that a child commences school. A small number of schools in the Kutjunka region are provided with school health services by the Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Service and the Ngaanyatjarra Health Service is contracted to provide the services in the Ngaanyatjarra region of the Goldfields Region.
(4) Yes. The minimum allocation is the necessary Full Time Equivalent (FTE) to provide school health services as described in the Memorandum of Understanding.
(5) Yes. Although in the WA Country Health Service (WACHS), community health nurses work across the community health sector, including a combination of child and school health services as required.
(6) Not applicable.
(7)(a - b) It is not possible to identify specific school health funding from the total state- wide community health budget.
(8) The Department of Health currently employs 158.87 FTE school health nurses, state-wide, to deliver the universal school entry health assessment in public and private primary schools and universal health services in public secondary schools. Of these, 103 FTEare employed in Metropolitan Child and Adolescent Health Service (Community Health) and approximately 55.87 FTE* in WACHS.
* WACHS community health nurses work across the community health sector, including a combination of child and school health services as required. Hence this number is an estimate.
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(2 -3) For most schools, a nurse is not located at the school on a full time basis. School health nurses may work across a number of schools. Four public primary schools in the Perthmetropolitan area have not yet been allocated school health nurse services for 2012, but will receive an allocation before the end of the school year in time to complete the school entry health assessments. These assessments are offered in the year that a child commences school. A small number of schools in the Kutjunka region are provided with school health services by the Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Service and the Ngaanyatjarra Health Service is contracted to provide the services in the Ngaanyatjarra region of the Goldfields Region.
(4) Yes. The minimum allocation is the necessary Full Time Equivalent (FTE) to provide school health services as described in the Memorandum of Understanding.
(5) Yes. Although in the WA Country Health Service (WACHS), community health nurses work across the community health sector, including a combination of child and school health services as required.
(6) Not applicable.
(7)(a - b) It is not possible to identify specific school health funding from the total state- wide community health budget.
(8) The Department of Health currently employs 158.87 FTE school health nurses, state-wide, to deliver the universal school entry health assessment in public and private primary schools and universal health services in public secondary schools. Of these, 103 FTEare employed in Metropolitan Child and Adolescent Health Service (Community Health) and approximately 55.87 FTE* in WACHS.
* WACHS community health nurses work across the community health sector, including a combination of child and school health services as required. Hence this number is an estimate.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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