❓ Mr. Kirkup questions the Premier about ambulance ramping issues coinciding with internal party conflict. The Premier acknowledges health system pressures due to the flu season and increasing ED attendances, highlighting government initiatives like urgent care clinics.
AnsweredQoN 658Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
AMBULANCE RAMPING
658. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP to the Premier:
Does the Premier acknowledge that
while his government was consumed with bitter infighting at his party's
state conference over the weekend, Western Australians were stuck in ambulances
ramped outside hospitals in record numbers?
658. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP to the Premier:
Does the Premier acknowledge that
while his government was consumed with bitter infighting at his party's
state conference over the weekend, Western Australians were stuck in ambulances
ramped outside hospitals in record numbers?
AnswerView source ↗
As members know, over the course of
this year there have been issues, particularly with the flu season, that caused
huge disruption to the health system, but that was obviously outside the
control of the government. I acknowledge the excellent work of our health
system and the people who work in it in managing that. There is continuing
pressure on our emergency departments as the number of people seeking
assistance continues to climb year on year. The Minister for Health and I launched
the government's urgent care clinic program a couple of weeks ago. An
urgent care clinic will be established at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital to take
the pressure off the busy emergency department there and allow for people who
are affected by alcohol and drugs, in particular, to be treated in a different
manner from the way they have been treated until now. This follows on from the
same style of unit being established at Royal Perth Hospital, which the
Minister for Health and I opened last year. This will allow patients who are
potentially intoxicated or suffering from drug-induced psychosis or overdoses
or the like to have that form of treatment. The urgent care clinic network more
broadly, which is now going to enter its trial phase, with around 130 urgent
care clinics across Western Australia, will allow for pressure to be taken off
emergency departments. We do not hide from the fact that there has been a huge
spike in attendances at emergency departments, but we are coming up with
positive solutions to deal with the issue.
this year there have been issues, particularly with the flu season, that caused
huge disruption to the health system, but that was obviously outside the
control of the government. I acknowledge the excellent work of our health
system and the people who work in it in managing that. There is continuing
pressure on our emergency departments as the number of people seeking
assistance continues to climb year on year. The Minister for Health and I launched
the government's urgent care clinic program a couple of weeks ago. An
urgent care clinic will be established at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital to take
the pressure off the busy emergency department there and allow for people who
are affected by alcohol and drugs, in particular, to be treated in a different
manner from the way they have been treated until now. This follows on from the
same style of unit being established at Royal Perth Hospital, which the
Minister for Health and I opened last year. This will allow patients who are
potentially intoxicated or suffering from drug-induced psychosis or overdoses
or the like to have that form of treatment. The urgent care clinic network more
broadly, which is now going to enter its trial phase, with around 130 urgent
care clinics across Western Australia, will allow for pressure to be taken off
emergency departments. We do not hide from the fact that there has been a huge
spike in attendances at emergency departments, but we are coming up with
positive solutions to deal with the issue.
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