❓ The Minister for Health reports on a 3.4% pay increase for WA nurses, addressing concerns raised by industrial action in Victoria and highlighting improvements in nurse staffing levels and family-friendly initiatives.
AnsweredQoN 204Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
As the minister is aware, recent industrial action has been taken by nurses in Victoria that has led to hospital beds being closed and to operations being cancelled as a result of enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations. Can the minister report on the State Government’s pay offer to Western Australian nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY
AnswerView source ↗
I am pleased to inform the House that tomorrow, 5 May, about 11 000 full-time and part-time nurses at Western Australian government hospitals will begin to receive the Government’s unconditional 3.4 per cent administrative pay increase. The pay rise is to be paid retrospectively from 1 May, and nurses working at the Eastern Metropolitan Health Service, which includes Royal Perth Hospital, Bentley Health Service and the Swan Health Service, will be the first to receive this pay rise. Nurses working in other areas will progressively receive the pay rise in the course of the month. The total cost to the Government of this 3.4 per cent pay rise over a full year will be $16.71 million. The unusual step of making this administrative payment to nurses was designed to tell our nurses that we value them, and we wanted to take pressure off the negotiations for the new enterprise bargaining agreement for nurses in hospitals. We also wanted to do everything in our power to ensure that the interests of patients are protected. A two-week dispute over pay and conditions for nurses in Victoria led to the closure of more than 1 300 hospital beds and the cancellation of 1 224 elective surgery operations. Victorian nurses wanted an eight per cent a year pay rise over four years - in other words a 32 per cent rise - but are now expected to accept a three per cent a year pay rise over four years, which translates to a 12 per cent pay rise. I am also pleased to report that since the Gallop Labor Government came to power in 2001, the total number of full-time equivalent salaried nurses in government hospitals has increased by 1 125. There were 9 207 FTE nurses in the Western Australian health system in March 2004 compared with 8 082 FTE nurses in February 2001. This has led to a decrease in the dependence on agency nurses. At its peak, in October 2002, 653 FTE agency nurses were utilised in the Western Australian health system. As at March 2004 there were 193. The figures for Royal Perth Hospital, which is the greatest user of agency nurses, showed that in January 2002, 273 FTE agency nurses were used, but the number had fallen to 31 by March 2004. Salaries are important, but issues affecting the quality of working life, including workload, child care and other family-friendly initiatives, are also important. That is why the Government has taken the initiative to increase the availability of childcare places at the Princess Margaret Hospital for Children. In 2002 the Government committed money to upgrade the hospital’s childcare centre, which would have created an extra eight places. Because of the failure to achieve matching funding requirements, the proposal was not proceeded with at that time. The Government has now increased the commitment and has allocated $250 000 to the project. The new building will be capable of catering for 18 children and represents better value for money. Construction is expected to begin in August and a new facility should be completed by the end of the year. I hope this will go a long way towards providing a more family-friendly environment for our nurses and other hospital employees.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I am pleased to inform the House that tomorrow, 5 May, about 11 000 full-time and part-time nurses at Western Australian government hospitals will begin to receive the Government’s unconditional 3.4 per cent administrative pay increase. The pay rise is to be paid retrospectively from 1 May, and nurses working at the Eastern Metropolitan Health Service, which includes Royal Perth Hospital, Bentley Health Service and the Swan Health Service, will be the first to receive this pay rise. Nurses working in other areas will progressively receive the pay rise in the course of the month. The total cost to the Government of this 3.4 per cent pay rise over a full year will be $16.71 million. The unusual step of making this administrative payment to nurses was designed to tell our nurses that we value them, and we wanted to take pressure off the negotiations for the new enterprise bargaining agreement for nurses in hospitals. We also wanted to do everything in our power to ensure that the interests of patients are protected. A two-week dispute over pay and conditions for nurses in Victoria led to the closure of more than 1 300 hospital beds and the cancellation of 1 224 elective surgery operations. Victorian nurses wanted an eight per cent a year pay rise over four years - in other words a 32 per cent rise - but are now expected to accept a three per cent a year pay rise over four years, which translates to a 12 per cent pay rise. I am also pleased to report that since the Gallop Labor Government came to power in 2001, the total number of full-time equivalent salaried nurses in government hospitals has increased by 1 125. There were 9 207 FTE nurses in the Western Australian health system in March 2004 compared with 8 082 FTE nurses in February 2001. This has led to a decrease in the dependence on agency nurses. At its peak, in October 2002, 653 FTE agency nurses were utilised in the Western Australian health system. As at March 2004 there were 193. The figures for Royal Perth Hospital, which is the greatest user of agency nurses, showed that in January 2002, 273 FTE agency nurses were used, but the number had fallen to 31 by March 2004. Salaries are important, but issues affecting the quality of working life, including workload, child care and other family-friendly initiatives, are also important. That is why the Government has taken the initiative to increase the availability of childcare places at the Princess Margaret Hospital for Children. In 2002 the Government committed money to upgrade the hospital’s childcare centre, which would have created an extra eight places. Because of the failure to achieve matching funding requirements, the proposal was not proceeded with at that time. The Government has now increased the commitment and has allocated $250 000 to the project. The new building will be capable of catering for 18 children and represents better value for money. Construction is expected to begin in August and a new facility should be completed by the end of the year. I hope this will go a long way towards providing a more family-friendly environment for our nurses and other hospital employees.
I am pleased to inform the House that tomorrow, 5 May, about 11 000 full-time and part-time nurses at Western Australian government hospitals will begin to receive the Government’s unconditional 3.4 per cent administrative pay increase. The pay rise is to be paid retrospectively from 1 May, and nurses working at the Eastern Metropolitan Health Service, which includes Royal Perth Hospital, Bentley Health Service and the Swan Health Service, will be the first to receive this pay rise. Nurses working in other areas will progressively receive the pay rise in the course of the month. The total cost to the Government of this 3.4 per cent pay rise over a full year will be $16.71 million. The unusual step of making this administrative payment to nurses was designed to tell our nurses that we value them, and we wanted to take pressure off the negotiations for the new enterprise bargaining agreement for nurses in hospitals. We also wanted to do everything in our power to ensure that the interests of patients are protected. A two-week dispute over pay and conditions for nurses in Victoria led to the closure of more than 1 300 hospital beds and the cancellation of 1 224 elective surgery operations. Victorian nurses wanted an eight per cent a year pay rise over four years - in other words a 32 per cent rise - but are now expected to accept a three per cent a year pay rise over four years, which translates to a 12 per cent pay rise. I am also pleased to report that since the Gallop Labor Government came to power in 2001, the total number of full-time equivalent salaried nurses in government hospitals has increased by 1 125. There were 9 207 FTE nurses in the Western Australian health system in March 2004 compared with 8 082 FTE nurses in February 2001. This has led to a decrease in the dependence on agency nurses. At its peak, in October 2002, 653 FTE agency nurses were utilised in the Western Australian health system. As at March 2004 there were 193. The figures for Royal Perth Hospital, which is the greatest user of agency nurses, showed that in January 2002, 273 FTE agency nurses were used, but the number had fallen to 31 by March 2004. Salaries are important, but issues affecting the quality of working life, including workload, child care and other family-friendly initiatives, are also important. That is why the Government has taken the initiative to increase the availability of childcare places at the Princess Margaret Hospital for Children. In 2002 the Government committed money to upgrade the hospital’s childcare centre, which would have created an extra eight places. Because of the failure to achieve matching funding requirements, the proposal was not proceeded with at that time. The Government has now increased the commitment and has allocated $250 000 to the project. The new building will be capable of catering for 18 children and represents better value for money. Construction is expected to begin in August and a new facility should be completed by the end of the year. I hope this will go a long way towards providing a more family-friendly environment for our nurses and other hospital employees.
I am also pleased to report that since the Gallop Labor Government came to power in 2001, the total number of full-time equivalent salaried nurses in government hospitals has increased by 1 125. There were 9 207 FTE nurses in the Western Australian health system in March 2004 compared with 8 082 FTE nurses in February 2001. This has led to a decrease in the dependence on agency nurses. At its peak, in October 2002, 653 FTE agency nurses were utilised in the Western Australian health system. As at March 2004 there were 193. The figures for Royal Perth Hospital, which is the greatest user of agency nurses, showed that in January 2002, 273 FTE agency nurses were used, but the number had fallen to 31 by March 2004. Salaries are important, but issues affecting the quality of working life, including workload, child care and other family-friendly initiatives, are also important. That is why the Government has taken the initiative to increase the availability of childcare places at the Princess Margaret Hospital for Children. In 2002 the Government committed money to upgrade the hospital’s childcare centre, which would have created an extra eight places. Because of the failure to achieve matching funding requirements, the proposal was not proceeded with at that time. The Government has now increased the commitment and has allocated $250 000 to the project. The new building will be capable of catering for 18 children and represents better value for money. Construction is expected to begin in August and a new facility should be completed by the end of the year. I hope this will go a long way towards providing a more family-friendly environment for our nurses and other hospital employees.
Salaries are important, but issues affecting the quality of working life, including workload, child care and other family-friendly initiatives, are also important. That is why the Government has taken the initiative to increase the availability of childcare places at the Princess Margaret Hospital for Children. In 2002 the Government committed money to upgrade the hospital’s childcare centre, which would have created an extra eight places. Because of the failure to achieve matching funding requirements, the proposal was not proceeded with at that time. The Government has now increased the commitment and has allocated $250 000 to the project. The new building will be capable of catering for 18 children and represents better value for money. Construction is expected to begin in August and a new facility should be completed by the end of the year. I hope this will go a long way towards providing a more family-friendly environment for our nurses and other hospital employees.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I am pleased to inform the House that tomorrow, 5 May, about 11 000 full-time and part-time nurses at Western Australian government hospitals will begin to receive the Government’s unconditional 3.4 per cent administrative pay increase. The pay rise is to be paid retrospectively from 1 May, and nurses working at the Eastern Metropolitan Health Service, which includes Royal Perth Hospital, Bentley Health Service and the Swan Health Service, will be the first to receive this pay rise. Nurses working in other areas will progressively receive the pay rise in the course of the month. The total cost to the Government of this 3.4 per cent pay rise over a full year will be $16.71 million. The unusual step of making this administrative payment to nurses was designed to tell our nurses that we value them, and we wanted to take pressure off the negotiations for the new enterprise bargaining agreement for nurses in hospitals. We also wanted to do everything in our power to ensure that the interests of patients are protected. A two-week dispute over pay and conditions for nurses in Victoria led to the closure of more than 1 300 hospital beds and the cancellation of 1 224 elective surgery operations. Victorian nurses wanted an eight per cent a year pay rise over four years - in other words a 32 per cent rise - but are now expected to accept a three per cent a year pay rise over four years, which translates to a 12 per cent pay rise. I am also pleased to report that since the Gallop Labor Government came to power in 2001, the total number of full-time equivalent salaried nurses in government hospitals has increased by 1 125. There were 9 207 FTE nurses in the Western Australian health system in March 2004 compared with 8 082 FTE nurses in February 2001. This has led to a decrease in the dependence on agency nurses. At its peak, in October 2002, 653 FTE agency nurses were utilised in the Western Australian health system. As at March 2004 there were 193. The figures for Royal Perth Hospital, which is the greatest user of agency nurses, showed that in January 2002, 273 FTE agency nurses were used, but the number had fallen to 31 by March 2004. Salaries are important, but issues affecting the quality of working life, including workload, child care and other family-friendly initiatives, are also important. That is why the Government has taken the initiative to increase the availability of childcare places at the Princess Margaret Hospital for Children. In 2002 the Government committed money to upgrade the hospital’s childcare centre, which would have created an extra eight places. Because of the failure to achieve matching funding requirements, the proposal was not proceeded with at that time. The Government has now increased the commitment and has allocated $250 000 to the project. The new building will be capable of catering for 18 children and represents better value for money. Construction is expected to begin in August and a new facility should be completed by the end of the year. I hope this will go a long way towards providing a more family-friendly environment for our nurses and other hospital employees.
I am pleased to inform the House that tomorrow, 5 May, about 11 000 full-time and part-time nurses at Western Australian government hospitals will begin to receive the Government’s unconditional 3.4 per cent administrative pay increase. The pay rise is to be paid retrospectively from 1 May, and nurses working at the Eastern Metropolitan Health Service, which includes Royal Perth Hospital, Bentley Health Service and the Swan Health Service, will be the first to receive this pay rise. Nurses working in other areas will progressively receive the pay rise in the course of the month. The total cost to the Government of this 3.4 per cent pay rise over a full year will be $16.71 million. The unusual step of making this administrative payment to nurses was designed to tell our nurses that we value them, and we wanted to take pressure off the negotiations for the new enterprise bargaining agreement for nurses in hospitals. We also wanted to do everything in our power to ensure that the interests of patients are protected. A two-week dispute over pay and conditions for nurses in Victoria led to the closure of more than 1 300 hospital beds and the cancellation of 1 224 elective surgery operations. Victorian nurses wanted an eight per cent a year pay rise over four years - in other words a 32 per cent rise - but are now expected to accept a three per cent a year pay rise over four years, which translates to a 12 per cent pay rise. I am also pleased to report that since the Gallop Labor Government came to power in 2001, the total number of full-time equivalent salaried nurses in government hospitals has increased by 1 125. There were 9 207 FTE nurses in the Western Australian health system in March 2004 compared with 8 082 FTE nurses in February 2001. This has led to a decrease in the dependence on agency nurses. At its peak, in October 2002, 653 FTE agency nurses were utilised in the Western Australian health system. As at March 2004 there were 193. The figures for Royal Perth Hospital, which is the greatest user of agency nurses, showed that in January 2002, 273 FTE agency nurses were used, but the number had fallen to 31 by March 2004. Salaries are important, but issues affecting the quality of working life, including workload, child care and other family-friendly initiatives, are also important. That is why the Government has taken the initiative to increase the availability of childcare places at the Princess Margaret Hospital for Children. In 2002 the Government committed money to upgrade the hospital’s childcare centre, which would have created an extra eight places. Because of the failure to achieve matching funding requirements, the proposal was not proceeded with at that time. The Government has now increased the commitment and has allocated $250 000 to the project. The new building will be capable of catering for 18 children and represents better value for money. Construction is expected to begin in August and a new facility should be completed by the end of the year. I hope this will go a long way towards providing a more family-friendly environment for our nurses and other hospital employees.
I am also pleased to report that since the Gallop Labor Government came to power in 2001, the total number of full-time equivalent salaried nurses in government hospitals has increased by 1 125. There were 9 207 FTE nurses in the Western Australian health system in March 2004 compared with 8 082 FTE nurses in February 2001. This has led to a decrease in the dependence on agency nurses. At its peak, in October 2002, 653 FTE agency nurses were utilised in the Western Australian health system. As at March 2004 there were 193. The figures for Royal Perth Hospital, which is the greatest user of agency nurses, showed that in January 2002, 273 FTE agency nurses were used, but the number had fallen to 31 by March 2004. Salaries are important, but issues affecting the quality of working life, including workload, child care and other family-friendly initiatives, are also important. That is why the Government has taken the initiative to increase the availability of childcare places at the Princess Margaret Hospital for Children. In 2002 the Government committed money to upgrade the hospital’s childcare centre, which would have created an extra eight places. Because of the failure to achieve matching funding requirements, the proposal was not proceeded with at that time. The Government has now increased the commitment and has allocated $250 000 to the project. The new building will be capable of catering for 18 children and represents better value for money. Construction is expected to begin in August and a new facility should be completed by the end of the year. I hope this will go a long way towards providing a more family-friendly environment for our nurses and other hospital employees.
Salaries are important, but issues affecting the quality of working life, including workload, child care and other family-friendly initiatives, are also important. That is why the Government has taken the initiative to increase the availability of childcare places at the Princess Margaret Hospital for Children. In 2002 the Government committed money to upgrade the hospital’s childcare centre, which would have created an extra eight places. Because of the failure to achieve matching funding requirements, the proposal was not proceeded with at that time. The Government has now increased the commitment and has allocated $250 000 to the project. The new building will be capable of catering for 18 children and represents better value for money. Construction is expected to begin in August and a new facility should be completed by the end of the year. I hope this will go a long way towards providing a more family-friendly environment for our nurses and other hospital employees.
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