❓ Ms. Beard questions the Premier on enhancing the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme (PATS) in regional areas. The Premier defends the government's record on PATS funding and regional healthcare investment, highlighting improvements made compared to the previous government.
AnsweredQoN 105Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MATERNITY
SERVICES — REGIONS
105. Ms M. BEARD to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
Will the Premier commit to reviewing and enhancing a more robust patient
assisted travel scheme system across the regions?
Ms R. Saffioti : It's
a different question.
SERVICES — REGIONS
105. Ms M. BEARD to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
Will the Premier commit to reviewing and enhancing a more robust patient
assisted travel scheme system across the regions?
Ms R. Saffioti : It's
a different question.
AnswerView source ↗
Technically speaking, that was not a
supplementary question, because this has nothing to do with PATS. We pay for
women to be transferred to another hospital. On that understanding, I am happy
to take the question, because it is a good opportunity for us to remind the
chamber that there has been a 66 per cent increase to the PATS accommodation
subsidy by this Labor government. We have also expanded eligibility so that
vulnerable patients can travel with a support person. We also continue to fund
the Country Age Pension Fuel Card subsidy. This is in addition to our strong
track record on cost-of-living measures. We all know that there was an upper
house inquiry in 2015 into the PATS system, and it provided the government of
the day with some forthright recommendations about improving and increasing
PATS. As a result, we expected the previous Liberal–National government
to increase funding for PATS. What do we
know from that? We know that the Liberal–National government completely ignored that report and did nothing to improve PATS. It took a WA Labor
government to improve the funding arrangements for PATS and increase the scope
of people who are eligible for PATS. But we did more than that. Do not forget
that we brought in radiation therapy services. The Albany and Kalgoorlie Health
Campuses have an MRI, which means that hundreds, if not thousands, of patients
who would have had to travel to Perth to receive care no longer have to. That is because the Western Australian Labor
government is investing in our regional hospital system so that patients
can receive more care in the communities in which they live. Our continuous
commitment is to make sure that expectant
mothers can undergo the full journey of having their baby in the communities in
which they live. However, at the end of the day, the safety of the
mother and the newborn is our primary concern. If it is necessary for them to
be transferred to another hospital as a result, we bear the costs.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER : That
concludes question time.
supplementary question, because this has nothing to do with PATS. We pay for
women to be transferred to another hospital. On that understanding, I am happy
to take the question, because it is a good opportunity for us to remind the
chamber that there has been a 66 per cent increase to the PATS accommodation
subsidy by this Labor government. We have also expanded eligibility so that
vulnerable patients can travel with a support person. We also continue to fund
the Country Age Pension Fuel Card subsidy. This is in addition to our strong
track record on cost-of-living measures. We all know that there was an upper
house inquiry in 2015 into the PATS system, and it provided the government of
the day with some forthright recommendations about improving and increasing
PATS. As a result, we expected the previous Liberal–National government
to increase funding for PATS. What do we
know from that? We know that the Liberal–National government completely ignored that report and did nothing to improve PATS. It took a WA Labor
government to improve the funding arrangements for PATS and increase the scope
of people who are eligible for PATS. But we did more than that. Do not forget
that we brought in radiation therapy services. The Albany and Kalgoorlie Health
Campuses have an MRI, which means that hundreds, if not thousands, of patients
who would have had to travel to Perth to receive care no longer have to. That is because the Western Australian Labor
government is investing in our regional hospital system so that patients
can receive more care in the communities in which they live. Our continuous
commitment is to make sure that expectant
mothers can undergo the full journey of having their baby in the communities in
which they live. However, at the end of the day, the safety of the
mother and the newborn is our primary concern. If it is necessary for them to
be transferred to another hospital as a result, we bear the costs.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER : That
concludes question time.
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