❓ Opposition questions the Health Minister regarding a reported error in the Fiona Stanley Hospital contract with Serco, specifically concerning porters' ability to physically touch patients. The Minister deflects blame, attributing the decision to a plan developed under the previous Labor government.
AnsweredQoN 560Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
FIONA
STANLEY HOSPITAL — AUSTRALIAN COMMISSION ON SAFETY AND QUALITY IN
HEALTH CARE — REPORT
560. Mr M. McGOWAN to the
Minister for Health:
Prior to asking my first question of this session, I welcome
back to Parliament the member for Collie–Preston, who has been unwell.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr M. McGOWAN : I
am glad to see him looking so happy—and slim!
I refer to the report by the Australian Commission on Safety
and Quality in Health Care into the Fiona Stanley Hospital and its finding that
—
The contract with Serco did not
allow for porters to physically touch patients. Given that a significant part
of a porter's role is transferring patients to and from beds, chairs,
wheelchairs, operating theatre tables and so on, this created a major
difficulty for the hospital to overcome.
(1) How did the minister get this part of his privatisation
deal so wrong?
(2) Has the WA taxpayer been required to foot the bill for
this stupid error?
(3) How much has this error cost the health system in
inefficiency and extra staffing?
STANLEY HOSPITAL — AUSTRALIAN COMMISSION ON SAFETY AND QUALITY IN
HEALTH CARE — REPORT
560. Mr M. McGOWAN to the
Minister for Health:
Prior to asking my first question of this session, I welcome
back to Parliament the member for Collie–Preston, who has been unwell.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr M. McGOWAN : I
am glad to see him looking so happy—and slim!
I refer to the report by the Australian Commission on Safety
and Quality in Health Care into the Fiona Stanley Hospital and its finding that
—
The contract with Serco did not
allow for porters to physically touch patients. Given that a significant part
of a porter's role is transferring patients to and from beds, chairs,
wheelchairs, operating theatre tables and so on, this created a major
difficulty for the hospital to overcome.
(1) How did the minister get this part of his privatisation
deal so wrong?
(2) Has the WA taxpayer been required to foot the bill for
this stupid error?
(3) How much has this error cost the health system in
inefficiency and extra staffing?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3)
The original plan, where the division occurred in going to the private sector,
was made quite some time ago. It was made by the task force that was working on
developing the proposal. In fact, it was made by people who were put in place
by the Leader of the Opposition himself—or the former Labor government.
Several
members interjected.
Dr K.D. HAMES : It
is true. That team of people that was put in place by the former government was
working on the developed proposal about where that line should be, but in line
with the privatisation program that was put in place by the former leader of
the Labor Party, Hon Eric Ripper.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Dr K.D. HAMES :
Those plans were put in place and were clearly supported by government. The
difficulty, of course, was working out exactly where the line should be. It was
decided by those people working on it that the line should be for those people
required to have physical contact with patients—largely nurses,
doctors, physiotherapists, allied health staff and the like. Those people doing
engineering, maintenance and so forth are by and large not required to touch
patients. The decision on orderlies was made because, by and large, orderlies
have patients on trolleys, carry them around and move them through the hospital,
and they also do other work related to moving stuff around the hospital, but they
are seldom required to physically touch a patient. There are times when that is
required, but the line was drawn because the view was that that requirement to
touch patients should sit with nurses, allied health staff and so on, and not
with those who transport patients and other products around the hospital. That
is therefore where the decision was made. As it turns out, that decision has
proved somewhat difficult and, as the report states, has caused some problems
because orderlies are sometimes required to assist in the movement of patients
by touching them and there has been some requirement for additional staff. I do
not know what that exact number is but it is not a great deal. For the person
with the budget at the hospital —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Dr
K.D. HAMES : I have not looked specifically into what that cost is because
our budget for a hospital is based on the total number of patients being
treated, so the payment to that hospital is based on the number of patients
going through. How the hospital manages that budget within its own
circumstances is up to the hospital. It has a budget that does not increase
because it has these additional staffing requirements. The overall cost for the
running of the hospital, therefore, is no different now than it would have been
under the previous scenario. It has put on additional staff —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Kwinana!
Dr K.D. HAMES :
Those additional staff will cost money—I am not questioning that—but
that has to be managed within the total budget of the hospital.
The original plan, where the division occurred in going to the private sector,
was made quite some time ago. It was made by the task force that was working on
developing the proposal. In fact, it was made by people who were put in place
by the Leader of the Opposition himself—or the former Labor government.
Several
members interjected.
Dr K.D. HAMES : It
is true. That team of people that was put in place by the former government was
working on the developed proposal about where that line should be, but in line
with the privatisation program that was put in place by the former leader of
the Labor Party, Hon Eric Ripper.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Dr K.D. HAMES :
Those plans were put in place and were clearly supported by government. The
difficulty, of course, was working out exactly where the line should be. It was
decided by those people working on it that the line should be for those people
required to have physical contact with patients—largely nurses,
doctors, physiotherapists, allied health staff and the like. Those people doing
engineering, maintenance and so forth are by and large not required to touch
patients. The decision on orderlies was made because, by and large, orderlies
have patients on trolleys, carry them around and move them through the hospital,
and they also do other work related to moving stuff around the hospital, but they
are seldom required to physically touch a patient. There are times when that is
required, but the line was drawn because the view was that that requirement to
touch patients should sit with nurses, allied health staff and so on, and not
with those who transport patients and other products around the hospital. That
is therefore where the decision was made. As it turns out, that decision has
proved somewhat difficult and, as the report states, has caused some problems
because orderlies are sometimes required to assist in the movement of patients
by touching them and there has been some requirement for additional staff. I do
not know what that exact number is but it is not a great deal. For the person
with the budget at the hospital —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Dr
K.D. HAMES : I have not looked specifically into what that cost is because
our budget for a hospital is based on the total number of patients being
treated, so the payment to that hospital is based on the number of patients
going through. How the hospital manages that budget within its own
circumstances is up to the hospital. It has a budget that does not increase
because it has these additional staffing requirements. The overall cost for the
running of the hospital, therefore, is no different now than it would have been
under the previous scenario. It has put on additional staff —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Kwinana!
Dr K.D. HAMES :
Those additional staff will cost money—I am not questioning that—but
that has to be managed within the total budget of the hospital.
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