❓ Opposition MP questions the Minister for Health regarding delays in workforce recruitment for Fiona Stanley Hospital, referencing a 2010 Auditor General's report. The Minister acknowledges delays but defends the timing of appointments.
AnsweredQoN 256Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
FIONA STANLEY HOSPITAL — AUDITOR GENERAL'S
REPORT
256. Hon
AMBER-JADE SANDERSON to the parliamentary secretary representing the
Minister for Health:
I refer to the Auditor General's report of June 2010,
which stated that workforce planning at Fiona Stanley Hospital was behind
schedule and a major risk to the project, and had not been adequately
addressed. I also refer to the minister's statement to Parliament in
November 2011 that ''Transitional planning for Fiona Stanley Hospital is
well advanced''.
(1) Can the
minister confirm that the Department of Health has found only three of 45 senior
department heads for Fiona Stanley Hospital; and, if not, how many have been
appointed?
(2) Can the
minister confirm that 60 per cent of resident and registrar positions are still
to be accredited; and, if not, what percentage is still to be accredited?
(3) Why did
the minister ignore the Auditor General's warning in his report of June
2010, which has resulted in serious deficits in workforce recruitment for the
hospital?
REPORT
256. Hon
AMBER-JADE SANDERSON to the parliamentary secretary representing the
Minister for Health:
I refer to the Auditor General's report of June 2010,
which stated that workforce planning at Fiona Stanley Hospital was behind
schedule and a major risk to the project, and had not been adequately
addressed. I also refer to the minister's statement to Parliament in
November 2011 that ''Transitional planning for Fiona Stanley Hospital is
well advanced''.
(1) Can the
minister confirm that the Department of Health has found only three of 45 senior
department heads for Fiona Stanley Hospital; and, if not, how many have been
appointed?
(2) Can the
minister confirm that 60 per cent of resident and registrar positions are still
to be accredited; and, if not, what percentage is still to be accredited?
(3) Why did
the minister ignore the Auditor General's warning in his report of June
2010, which has resulted in serious deficits in workforce recruitment for the
hospital?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this
question.
(1) The
director of clinical services and the director of nursing and midwifery
services were appointed in February 2013. Appointments to the eight remaining
clinical executive roles, the co-directors, have been finalised and the
hospital is currently negotiating with the successful applicants on
commencement dates. Seven nurse director positions were advertised this week.
Appointments have already been finalised for two nurse director positions and
the hospital is currently negotiating with the successful applicants on
commencement dates. The key corporate roles of director of safety, quality and
risk, and director, corporate and finance were advertised this week.
I will try to get all the pronunciations correct in the next
few paragraphs. The answer continues —
Applications for the first 20 heads
of specialty have closed and interviews are being scheduled for anaesthetics;
cardiology; emergency medicine; gastroenterology; general medicine; general
surgery; geriatric medicine; haematology; imaging; neonatology; nephrology;
neurology; obstetrics and gynaecology; oncology; orthopaedic surgery;
paediatric medicine; plastic surgery; psychiatry; respiratory medicine; and
vascular surgery.
Advertised this week were
applications for 13 heads of specialty for the breast service; cardiothoracic
surgery and transplantation; dermatology; endocrinology; ear, nose and throat
surgery; infectious diseases; intensive care; maxillofacial and dental surgery;
nuclear medicine; perioperative care; rehabilitation medicine; rheumatology;
urology; and four unit head positions for the acute admitting unit; the acute
surgical and trauma unit; the acute stroke unit; and the coronary care unit.
(2) Junior
medical staff working at Fiona Stanley Hospital in 2014 will be appointed by
Royal Perth Hospital and Fremantle Hospital, as they will work in these
hospitals for most of the year and will move to Fiona Stanley Hospital when
their specialties transition. Fiona Stanley Hospital will achieve satellite
accreditation from Royal Perth Hospital and Fremantle Hospital, which are
already accredited for training in the relevant specialties. The learned
colleges will not bestow full accreditation on a hospital until they have
inspected it after it has opened. The specialties transferring to Fiona Stanley
Hospital in late 2014 are unlikely to have intern posts associated with them.
Arrangements for 2015 are progressing well.
(3) Although
the Auditor General's report was extremely useful, the Auditor General
does not determine health policy, and the minister's view is that the
Auditor General's recommendations to have the senior clinical
appointments in place in 2011 was too early. However, it is recognised that
there have been some delays in appointing these clinicians in 2012. There has
been significant progress in appointing these positions in the first half of
2013, as stated in the answers above, and in addition four clinical commissioning
leads were appointed in late 2012 with a significant enhancement of the overall
clinical commissioning team. This added to the appointment of the South
Metropolitan Health Service cluster leads in December 2012.
question.
(1) The
director of clinical services and the director of nursing and midwifery
services were appointed in February 2013. Appointments to the eight remaining
clinical executive roles, the co-directors, have been finalised and the
hospital is currently negotiating with the successful applicants on
commencement dates. Seven nurse director positions were advertised this week.
Appointments have already been finalised for two nurse director positions and
the hospital is currently negotiating with the successful applicants on
commencement dates. The key corporate roles of director of safety, quality and
risk, and director, corporate and finance were advertised this week.
I will try to get all the pronunciations correct in the next
few paragraphs. The answer continues —
Applications for the first 20 heads
of specialty have closed and interviews are being scheduled for anaesthetics;
cardiology; emergency medicine; gastroenterology; general medicine; general
surgery; geriatric medicine; haematology; imaging; neonatology; nephrology;
neurology; obstetrics and gynaecology; oncology; orthopaedic surgery;
paediatric medicine; plastic surgery; psychiatry; respiratory medicine; and
vascular surgery.
Advertised this week were
applications for 13 heads of specialty for the breast service; cardiothoracic
surgery and transplantation; dermatology; endocrinology; ear, nose and throat
surgery; infectious diseases; intensive care; maxillofacial and dental surgery;
nuclear medicine; perioperative care; rehabilitation medicine; rheumatology;
urology; and four unit head positions for the acute admitting unit; the acute
surgical and trauma unit; the acute stroke unit; and the coronary care unit.
(2) Junior
medical staff working at Fiona Stanley Hospital in 2014 will be appointed by
Royal Perth Hospital and Fremantle Hospital, as they will work in these
hospitals for most of the year and will move to Fiona Stanley Hospital when
their specialties transition. Fiona Stanley Hospital will achieve satellite
accreditation from Royal Perth Hospital and Fremantle Hospital, which are
already accredited for training in the relevant specialties. The learned
colleges will not bestow full accreditation on a hospital until they have
inspected it after it has opened. The specialties transferring to Fiona Stanley
Hospital in late 2014 are unlikely to have intern posts associated with them.
Arrangements for 2015 are progressing well.
(3) Although
the Auditor General's report was extremely useful, the Auditor General
does not determine health policy, and the minister's view is that the
Auditor General's recommendations to have the senior clinical
appointments in place in 2011 was too early. However, it is recognised that
there have been some delays in appointing these clinicians in 2012. There has
been significant progress in appointing these positions in the first half of
2013, as stated in the answers above, and in addition four clinical commissioning
leads were appointed in late 2012 with a significant enhancement of the overall
clinical commissioning team. This added to the appointment of the South
Metropolitan Health Service cluster leads in December 2012.
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