❓ Mr Rundle questions the Minister for Health about under-resourcing at St John of God Midland Public Hospital, citing a letter from clinicians. The Minister refutes the claim, blaming the previous government for building a hospital that was too small and privatising it.
AnsweredQoN 169Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ST JOHN OF GOD MIDLAND PUBLIC HOSPITAL
169. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Minister for Health:
More than 50 clinicians
from St John of God Hospital in Midland have signed a letter highlighting this
WA Labor government's failure to adequately resource their hospital for
years. Noting that this is not the first time that health experts have been
critical of this WA Labor government's failure to manage our health
system, when can these clinicians, as well as many others, expect results, as
opposed to ignorance?
169. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Minister for Health:
More than 50 clinicians
from St John of God Hospital in Midland have signed a letter highlighting this
WA Labor government's failure to adequately resource their hospital for
years. Noting that this is not the first time that health experts have been
critical of this WA Labor government's failure to manage our health
system, when can these clinicians, as well as many others, expect results, as
opposed to ignorance?
AnswerView source ↗
I
am happy to answer this question. I have a couple of things. Midland hospital
was built under the former Liberal–National
coalition government, and you built it too small. You built it too small,
against all advice. The advice was
that more beds were needed in that hospital because it services not only the
east metropolitan region, but also the inner
wheatbelt and Northam. Against the advice, the Liberal coalition government
went ahead. Not only that , the Liberal–National coalition government
built it too small and then privatised the hospital to St John of God Health
Care.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please.
Ms A. SANDERSON : I strongly
contest the assertion that it is under-resourced because the contract with St
John of God was renegotiated last year, and it agreed to the contract and the
pricing. We run efficient hospitals in Western Australia. St John of God agreed
to the resourcing and the pricing, so I strongly contest the assertion that it
is under-resourced. It is small, and that contributes to some of the
congestion, but I strongly object to and contest the assertion that it is
under-resourced; it is not.
am happy to answer this question. I have a couple of things. Midland hospital
was built under the former Liberal–National
coalition government, and you built it too small. You built it too small,
against all advice. The advice was
that more beds were needed in that hospital because it services not only the
east metropolitan region, but also the inner
wheatbelt and Northam. Against the advice, the Liberal coalition government
went ahead. Not only that , the Liberal–National coalition government
built it too small and then privatised the hospital to St John of God Health
Care.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please.
Ms A. SANDERSON : I strongly
contest the assertion that it is under-resourced because the contract with St
John of God was renegotiated last year, and it agreed to the contract and the
pricing. We run efficient hospitals in Western Australia. St John of God agreed
to the resourcing and the pricing, so I strongly contest the assertion that it
is under-resourced. It is small, and that contributes to some of the
congestion, but I strongly object to and contest the assertion that it is
under-resourced; it is not.
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