Hon Martin Aldridge asks about progress on recommendations from a 2022 report regarding ambulance service subsidies for pensioners and equity of access, particularly for Aboriginal people. Hon Pierre Yang responds with details of ongoing trials and collaborations aimed at improving access for Aboriginal communities.

AnsweredQoN 88Legislative Council
Asked
29 April 2025
Portfolio
Health

QuestionView source ↗

Ambulance services—Recommendations88.Hon Martin Aldridgeto theparliamentary
secretary representing the Minister for Health:I refer to the 37th report
of the Standing Committee on Public Administration titledDelivery of ambulance services in Western Australia:
Critical condition.(1)
Noting that this report was tabled in May 2022, almost three years ago, what progress
has been made on recommendation 2, relating to extending a full subsidy for emergency
ambulance access to holders of current pensioner concession cards aged under 65?(2) With reference to action 21 outlined in the government's
response titledA new century for ambulanceservices, what action has been taken to address
the equity of access to emergency ambulance services?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
29 April 2025
Response time
0 days
Hon Pierre Yang replied:I thank the
honourable member for notice of the question. The following has been provided
by the Minister for Health.(1)
Work has progressed in collaboration with the Aboriginal Health Council of Western
Australia, the WA Country Health Service, St John Ambulance WA and the department
to implement a trial aimed at improving equity of access to emergency ambulance
services for Aboriginal people. The outcomes of this trial will be assessed and
may inform any future programs.(2)
In addition, the Aboriginal Health Council of WA, the WA Country Health Service,
St John Ambulance WA and the department are also trialling initiatives, including
providing full coverage of ambulance transport costs for patients transferred
from Aboriginal–community controlled health services (ACCHS), clinics to
hospitals and extending the ambulance transport subsidy to include transfers
from Jandakot Airport to metropolitan hospitals when Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander patients have been airlifted to Perth for urgent medical care.
Ambulance services—Recommendations

Explore WA Government Data

Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.

Explore more