Hon Steve Martin asks the Minister for Health about the WA Country Health Service budget, specifically regarding the use of agency nurses and potential staff cuts in regional hospitals. The Minister requests the question be placed on notice due to the complexity and time required to gather the data.

AnsweredQoN 1056Legislative Council
Asked
14 September 2023
Portfolio
Health

QuestionView source ↗

WA COUNTRY HEALTH
SERVICE — STAFFING
1056. Hon STEVE MARTIN to the Leader of the House
representing the Minister for Health:
I refer to the WA Country Health
Service budget.
(1) How much of
the WACHS budget has been allocated to agency nurses filling vacant positions
in regional hospitals annually between —
(a) 2020–21;
(b) 2021–22; and
(c) 2022–23?
(2) How many agency nurses have
been hired to fill positions in regional hospitals annually between —
(a) 2020–21;
(b) 2021–22; and
(c) 2022–23?
(3) How many FTE
nurses, midwives or carers have been cut across regional hospitals due to staff
budgetary constraints or otherwise between —
(a) 2020–21;
(b) 2021–22; and
(c) 2022–23?

AnswerView source ↗

Again, the answer to the question
is that to allow for a fulsome and accurate response, I request the member to
place the question on notice.
If
I may, one part of the question asks how many agency nurses have been hired to
fill positions in regional hospitals over a three-year period. It is not
possible to provide that kind of information in a four-hour turnaround. It is just
not possible.

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