❓ Question regarding the Cook Labor government's investment in regional healthcare, with the Minister outlining initiatives like telehealth, workforce incentives, increased travel subsidies, and infrastructure upgrades.
AnsweredQoN 203Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Health—Regions
203. Mr Kevin Michel to
the Minister for Health:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's record investment in Western Australia's public health
system. Can the minister outline to the house how this government is ensuring that
regional Western Australians have access to quality health care, regardless of
where they live?
203. Mr Kevin Michel to
the Minister for Health:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's record investment in Western Australia's public health
system. Can the minister outline to the house how this government is ensuring that
regional Western Australians have access to quality health care, regardless of
where they live?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member
for the question. It was great to be with him up in Karratha and Roebourne just
last week, seeing some of the incredible work that our WA Country Health
Service (WACHS) is doing there. As the member will appreciate, the WA Country Health
Service is the largest geographical health jurisdiction in the world; it covers 2.5 million square kilometres, from Kununurra
to Esperance, and has over 800 sites across the state, so it is an
incredibly large jurisdiction. To deliver that world-class care across such as
large system, we have to be innovative, as the member knows. I am really proud
that WACHS has been leading the nation in the delivery of health services. Whether
it is emergency care, mental health or end-of-life care, no matter where you
live, you can now have access to specialist supports. That is in relation to
the telehealth services that we are delivering, which allow people to access
those services, no matter where they live.
Sometimes patients
need hands-on support, and that is why we have delivered a range of initiatives
to boost our workforce in the regions. We are delivering the country nurse and midwife
incentives scheme and the regional rapid deployment program to get clinicians,
nurses and midwives to the places where they are needed most. We have the HECS-HELP
scheme for nurses and midwives as well. Despite this, some patients will still
need to travel to access the treatment that they need. That is why we have
committed to increasing the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme fuel subsidy—or
the PATS fuel subsidy as it is known—to 40c per kilometre. It took a
Labor government to deliver increases in PATS, and we are incredibly proud of
that. At 40c per kilometre, it will be the highest in the nation and we are
incredibly proud of the work that we are doing in this area. That is because
people who live in the vastest state in the nation should get the support they—
Mr Shane Love interjected.
Ms Meredith Hammat: That is because people living in
the vastest state in the nation should get the best support that they need and
deserve.
We are also
delivering a major pipeline—
Mr Shane Love interjected.
Ms Meredith Hammat: The member is going to want to
hear this, because we are also delivering a major pipeline of regional
infrastructure upgrades, led by the minister—
Mr Shane Love interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the National Party!
Ms Meredith Hammat: We are delivering a major pipeline
of regional infrastructure upgrades, led by the Minister for Health
Infrastructure, including the Geraldton Health Campus redevelopment and the
Bunbury Hospital redevelopment. We have a commitment to deliver a 30-bed modular
ward at Albany Health Campus as well. We are really proud of the work that we are
doing to deliver health care into our regions Whether it is telehealth,
encouraging the workforce that we need to take up positions to live and work in
the regions, delivering an increase to the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme fuel
subsidy, or delivering a major pipeline of health infrastructure, we are delivering
a significant amount of work to deliver health care to people who live in
regional Western Australia.
for the question. It was great to be with him up in Karratha and Roebourne just
last week, seeing some of the incredible work that our WA Country Health
Service (WACHS) is doing there. As the member will appreciate, the WA Country Health
Service is the largest geographical health jurisdiction in the world; it covers 2.5 million square kilometres, from Kununurra
to Esperance, and has over 800 sites across the state, so it is an
incredibly large jurisdiction. To deliver that world-class care across such as
large system, we have to be innovative, as the member knows. I am really proud
that WACHS has been leading the nation in the delivery of health services. Whether
it is emergency care, mental health or end-of-life care, no matter where you
live, you can now have access to specialist supports. That is in relation to
the telehealth services that we are delivering, which allow people to access
those services, no matter where they live.
Sometimes patients
need hands-on support, and that is why we have delivered a range of initiatives
to boost our workforce in the regions. We are delivering the country nurse and midwife
incentives scheme and the regional rapid deployment program to get clinicians,
nurses and midwives to the places where they are needed most. We have the HECS-HELP
scheme for nurses and midwives as well. Despite this, some patients will still
need to travel to access the treatment that they need. That is why we have
committed to increasing the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme fuel subsidy—or
the PATS fuel subsidy as it is known—to 40c per kilometre. It took a
Labor government to deliver increases in PATS, and we are incredibly proud of
that. At 40c per kilometre, it will be the highest in the nation and we are
incredibly proud of the work that we are doing in this area. That is because
people who live in the vastest state in the nation should get the support they—
Mr Shane Love interjected.
Ms Meredith Hammat: That is because people living in
the vastest state in the nation should get the best support that they need and
deserve.
We are also
delivering a major pipeline—
Mr Shane Love interjected.
Ms Meredith Hammat: The member is going to want to
hear this, because we are also delivering a major pipeline of regional
infrastructure upgrades, led by the minister—
Mr Shane Love interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the National Party!
Ms Meredith Hammat: We are delivering a major pipeline
of regional infrastructure upgrades, led by the Minister for Health
Infrastructure, including the Geraldton Health Campus redevelopment and the
Bunbury Hospital redevelopment. We have a commitment to deliver a 30-bed modular
ward at Albany Health Campus as well. We are really proud of the work that we are
doing to deliver health care into our regions Whether it is telehealth,
encouraging the workforce that we need to take up positions to live and work in
the regions, delivering an increase to the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme fuel
subsidy, or delivering a major pipeline of health infrastructure, we are delivering
a significant amount of work to deliver health care to people who live in
regional Western Australia.
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