Ms Mettam questions the Premier on the disparity in funding allocation between elective surgery ($40M) and Metronet blowouts ($2B), highlighting poor health outcomes. The Premier defends the government's health spending and claims WA has the best health system.

AnsweredQoN 235Legislative Assembly
Asked
17 April 2024
Portfolio
Premier

QuestionView source ↗

ELECTIVE SURGERY — WAITLISTS
235. Ms L. METTAM to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Seriously; it is not that funny.
Ms L. METTAM : Given these
poor health outcomes, how does the Premier justify spending only $40 million on
boosting elective surgery compared with an additional $2 billion on Metronet
blowouts last year, given patients such as Shelley French —
The SPEAKER : No further
comment; you have asked your question.

AnswerView source ↗

We invested an extra $40 million in
an elective surgery waitlist blitz at the end of last year. We are cognisant of
the pressure that our health system is under, which is the reason why
expenditure on health care has grown so much under our watch, and why the
number of nurses and doctors in our health system has increased so much. Do
members know who are reaping the benefits of that? It is the people of Western Australia,
because they know that we are putting patients first, and they know that they live
in a state with the best health system in the country.

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