❓ Question regarding the impact of a $10 million investment in regional ambulance services, with the Minister outlining the allocation of funds for paramedics and improved non-urgent patient transfers.
AnsweredQoN 125Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ST JOHN AMBULANCE — COUNTRY AMBULANCE SERVICE
125. Ms A.E. KENT to the Minister for Health:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor's government $10 million investment
announced last week to support local paramedic teams and volunteers
across regional Western Australia. Can the minister outline to the house what
the investment will mean for our Country Ambulance Service and the important
work it does in putting patients first?
125. Ms A.E. KENT to the Minister for Health:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor's government $10 million investment
announced last week to support local paramedic teams and volunteers
across regional Western Australia. Can the minister outline to the house what
the investment will mean for our Country Ambulance Service and the important
work it does in putting patients first?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
It is a very good question. As the member knows, our Country Ambulance Service
is one of the great parts of our regional healthcare system. Volunteers right
across this great state who provide a vital service for everyone in the
community deserve to be supported, and the McGowan government is seeking to
support them further. I was very proud that last week I was able to announce a $10
million boost for ambulance services, which includes money to recruit paid
paramedics in nine regional centres to further strengthen country ambulances
and provide better on-the-ground support for local volunteers. Recruitment is
underway for 25 additional paramedics to expand
the current workforce and support local volunteers. I am very happy to tell the
member for Kalgoorlie that of the 25 new recruits, five will be located in
Kalgoorlie, another five have been allocated to Bunbury and the balance is
allocated across Laverton, Meekatharra, Karratha, Newman, Merredin and
Narrogin.
This $10 million investment also
will be used to develop new solutions to improve how non-urgent patients are
transferred between hospitals. As we know, one of the difficulties with
volunteer services is that they will often be called out for an emergency and
will take that patient to a regional hospital and then, after they have
returned home and got their kid off to sleep and are about to go bed to get
some well-earned rest, they will be called out once again to undertake a hospital
transfer. To support them with these non-emergency transfers is an important
aspect of this well-earned investment.
This announcement is in addition to
$9.2 million that we committed last October for three paid paramedics and six
new ambulances in the Kimberley. This funding will help enhance access to care
and patient flow across all regional Western Australia through the improved
coordination of services. These commitments come from The Country Ambulance
Strategy: Driving equity for country WA , which we released in November
2019. This was the most extensive community
consultation process in the development of new strategies for the Country
Ambulance Service. It is a great piece of work and one that I was very privileged
to be involved with.
An election commitment that will be
progressed in this term of government is for a further $30 million to be used to provide additional paramedics in regional WA.
That is expected to build upon the work already undertaken to date to
provide further support to regions, where it is most needed. Collectively,
these investments include a significant increase in the number of paramedics in
regional areas. These investments will strengthen ambulance services, provide
greater support to our valued volunteers and contribute to a sustained and
innovative future for our country communities.
Our vollie ambulance drivers and
paramedics do an incredible service on behalf of everyone in the community. They deserve our backing. These really important
investments will make sure that we not only implement the country ambulance strategy but also continue to support our vollie paramedics.
It is a very good question. As the member knows, our Country Ambulance Service
is one of the great parts of our regional healthcare system. Volunteers right
across this great state who provide a vital service for everyone in the
community deserve to be supported, and the McGowan government is seeking to
support them further. I was very proud that last week I was able to announce a $10
million boost for ambulance services, which includes money to recruit paid
paramedics in nine regional centres to further strengthen country ambulances
and provide better on-the-ground support for local volunteers. Recruitment is
underway for 25 additional paramedics to expand
the current workforce and support local volunteers. I am very happy to tell the
member for Kalgoorlie that of the 25 new recruits, five will be located in
Kalgoorlie, another five have been allocated to Bunbury and the balance is
allocated across Laverton, Meekatharra, Karratha, Newman, Merredin and
Narrogin.
This $10 million investment also
will be used to develop new solutions to improve how non-urgent patients are
transferred between hospitals. As we know, one of the difficulties with
volunteer services is that they will often be called out for an emergency and
will take that patient to a regional hospital and then, after they have
returned home and got their kid off to sleep and are about to go bed to get
some well-earned rest, they will be called out once again to undertake a hospital
transfer. To support them with these non-emergency transfers is an important
aspect of this well-earned investment.
This announcement is in addition to
$9.2 million that we committed last October for three paid paramedics and six
new ambulances in the Kimberley. This funding will help enhance access to care
and patient flow across all regional Western Australia through the improved
coordination of services. These commitments come from The Country Ambulance
Strategy: Driving equity for country WA , which we released in November
2019. This was the most extensive community
consultation process in the development of new strategies for the Country
Ambulance Service. It is a great piece of work and one that I was very privileged
to be involved with.
An election commitment that will be
progressed in this term of government is for a further $30 million to be used to provide additional paramedics in regional WA.
That is expected to build upon the work already undertaken to date to
provide further support to regions, where it is most needed. Collectively,
these investments include a significant increase in the number of paramedics in
regional areas. These investments will strengthen ambulance services, provide
greater support to our valued volunteers and contribute to a sustained and
innovative future for our country communities.
Our vollie ambulance drivers and
paramedics do an incredible service on behalf of everyone in the community. They deserve our backing. These really important
investments will make sure that we not only implement the country ambulance strategy but also continue to support our vollie paramedics.
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