❓ Opposition questions the government's decision to cut junior doctors at Princess Margaret Hospital, linking it to other service cuts and budget mismanagement. The Minister defends the decision, citing service expansion in other locations and a new hospital model.
AnsweredQoN 302Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PAEDIATRIC SERVICES — DOCTORS
302. Mr R.H. COOK to the Minister for
Health:
I refer to media reports about the
minister's decision to cut the number of junior doctors by a quarter at
Princess Margaret Hospital for Children. This follows his previous decision to
cut the therapeutic play coordinators and the decision to cut the anorexia
nervosa program for children and adolescents. How can a 25 per cent cut in the
number of junior doctors not impact on frontline services, and is this not the
best indication yet that the minister has failed to responsibly manage the
health budget and has forgotten about the needs of children?
302. Mr R.H. COOK to the Minister for
Health:
I refer to media reports about the
minister's decision to cut the number of junior doctors by a quarter at
Princess Margaret Hospital for Children. This follows his previous decision to
cut the therapeutic play coordinators and the decision to cut the anorexia
nervosa program for children and adolescents. How can a 25 per cent cut in the
number of junior doctors not impact on frontline services, and is this not the
best indication yet that the minister has failed to responsibly manage the
health budget and has forgotten about the needs of children?
AnswerView source ↗
That question demonstrates that the
member for Kwinana, the opposition spokesperson for Health, does not understand
the changes that have now been underway for some years in the provision of
health services and hospital-based services, in particular across the
metropolitan area. Just about everybody else knows about them, and the fact
that services, and in this case paediatric services for children, have been
expanded closer to where people are living. That philosophy has been strongly
supported by this government. The previous government said it supported that—it
was planning along those lines. There is now a substantial paediatric ward and
a separate emergency department for children at Fiona Stanley Hospital in
Murdoch.
Mr
R.H. Cook interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Kwinana, I call you to order for the first time. Let
the minister answer.
Mr
J.H.D. DAY : There has been an expansion of paediatric services at Joondalup
hospital. I think I am right in saying it has also occurred at Rockingham
hospital, for example. The new Midland hospital has a substantial paediatric
section as well —
Mr
R.H. Cook interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Kwinana, you have asked a question; I will give you a supplementary.
If you keep shouting out, I will call you to order and you will be out.
Mr
J.H.D. DAY : And, of course, the new $1.2 billion Perth Children's
Hospital, under construction at the moment, will open before the end of this
year. That is the overall picture. That is the overall change that has been
occurring. There is no reduction in the need for junior medical officers in
relation to providing paediatric services across the metropolitan area. Because
of the reconfiguration of services and the fact that there will be a different
workforce model or provision of clinical services at the new Perth Children's
Hospital, there will be a need for fewer junior medical officers at the Perth
Children's Hospital next year than there has been at Princess Margaret
Hospital. But overall, there is no reduction in the need for junior medical
officers for paediatric services.
Mr
R.H. Cook : It is a budget cut, isn't it?
Mr
J.H.D. DAY : There is a need for more in fact at the other locations that I mentioned.
This is not a result of a budget cut at all, as the member seems to indicate;
it is a result of providing services closer to where people are living. The
demand for services at Princess Margaret Hospital has been relatively static in
recent years. With the new model of services being provided and the new and
differently designed Perth Children's Hospital, there will be a need
for a smaller number—I think it is about 25 fewer—at the Perth
Children's Hospital than has been the case at Princess Margaret
Hospital. No-one is being sacked. No contracts are being terminated. There are
some junior medical officers on contracts at the moment who will be serving out
their full contracts, but there will be a need for fewer at the new children's
hospital than there currently is at Princess Margaret Hospital.
member for Kwinana, the opposition spokesperson for Health, does not understand
the changes that have now been underway for some years in the provision of
health services and hospital-based services, in particular across the
metropolitan area. Just about everybody else knows about them, and the fact
that services, and in this case paediatric services for children, have been
expanded closer to where people are living. That philosophy has been strongly
supported by this government. The previous government said it supported that—it
was planning along those lines. There is now a substantial paediatric ward and
a separate emergency department for children at Fiona Stanley Hospital in
Murdoch.
Mr
R.H. Cook interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Kwinana, I call you to order for the first time. Let
the minister answer.
Mr
J.H.D. DAY : There has been an expansion of paediatric services at Joondalup
hospital. I think I am right in saying it has also occurred at Rockingham
hospital, for example. The new Midland hospital has a substantial paediatric
section as well —
Mr
R.H. Cook interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Kwinana, you have asked a question; I will give you a supplementary.
If you keep shouting out, I will call you to order and you will be out.
Mr
J.H.D. DAY : And, of course, the new $1.2 billion Perth Children's
Hospital, under construction at the moment, will open before the end of this
year. That is the overall picture. That is the overall change that has been
occurring. There is no reduction in the need for junior medical officers in
relation to providing paediatric services across the metropolitan area. Because
of the reconfiguration of services and the fact that there will be a different
workforce model or provision of clinical services at the new Perth Children's
Hospital, there will be a need for fewer junior medical officers at the Perth
Children's Hospital next year than there has been at Princess Margaret
Hospital. But overall, there is no reduction in the need for junior medical
officers for paediatric services.
Mr
R.H. Cook : It is a budget cut, isn't it?
Mr
J.H.D. DAY : There is a need for more in fact at the other locations that I mentioned.
This is not a result of a budget cut at all, as the member seems to indicate;
it is a result of providing services closer to where people are living. The
demand for services at Princess Margaret Hospital has been relatively static in
recent years. With the new model of services being provided and the new and
differently designed Perth Children's Hospital, there will be a need
for a smaller number—I think it is about 25 fewer—at the Perth
Children's Hospital than has been the case at Princess Margaret
Hospital. No-one is being sacked. No contracts are being terminated. There are
some junior medical officers on contracts at the moment who will be serving out
their full contracts, but there will be a need for fewer at the new children's
hospital than there currently is at Princess Margaret Hospital.
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