❓ The Minister for Health reports on the progress of the Government's emergency department strategy, highlighting the opening of additional hospital beds and a reduction in ambulance diversion hours. The strategy aims to improve emergency department capacity during peak winter demand.
AnsweredQoN 222Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Can the minister please report progress on the Government’s emergency department strategy? Mr J.A. McGINTY
AnswerView source ↗
This morning I tabled in the House the Government’s comprehensive strategy to enable our emergency departments to better cope during the forthcoming peak demand period of winter. The document sets out a seven-point plan to enable our emergency departments to better cope. The plan’s key element is the opening of 332 additional general acute beds in our metropolitan government hospitals. Also, it includes reference to significantly increased funding for the ambulance service, the establishment of general practitioner emergency department clinics, capital investment, greater use of secondary hospitals, demand management and better management within the health system. I am very pleased to report to the House that one-third of those beds - that is, 119 of those 332 winter beds - have been opened already. This is a key component of the strategy. Forty-five of those opened beds are in tertiary hospitals, with 74 in secondary hospitals. Those beds have already had an impact on the functioning of our hospital emergency departments. The total number of ambulance diversion hours for April 2004 was half the figure for March 2004, and half that for April 2003. The advice I have received from the Department of Health and from doctors is that this is substantially attributable to the opening of the additional beds. I table the figures for ambulance diversions for the three tertiary hospitals, as I have indicated to the House. [See paper No 2313.] Mr J.A. McGINTY: Substantially as a result of the initiative, the April 2004 ambulance diversion figure was the lowest this calendar year. This was achieved largely as a consequence of opening additional beds. It is early days. The complete strategy is yet to cut in, although the most important part is well under away; namely, the opening of the additional beds. The strategy was developed in consultation with doctors, nurses and ambulance officers working in the frontline in our emergency departments delivering emergency medicine to the people of Western Australia. I trusted them to tell me what would make our system work better than it has for a long time. The early indications - I rate them no higher than that - are that it seems to be working. That leads us with some confidence to say that, short of an absolute catastrophe, our emergency departments should be able to cope and to provide world-class health care this winter to the people of Perth.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: This morning I tabled in the House the Government’s comprehensive strategy to enable our emergency departments to better cope during the forthcoming peak demand period of winter. The document sets out a seven-point plan to enable our emergency departments to better cope. The plan’s key element is the opening of 332 additional general acute beds in our metropolitan government hospitals. Also, it includes reference to significantly increased funding for the ambulance service, the establishment of general practitioner emergency department clinics, capital investment, greater use of secondary hospitals, demand management and better management within the health system. I am very pleased to report to the House that one-third of those beds - that is, 119 of those 332 winter beds - have been opened already. This is a key component of the strategy. Forty-five of those opened beds are in tertiary hospitals, with 74 in secondary hospitals. Those beds have already had an impact on the functioning of our hospital emergency departments. The total number of ambulance diversion hours for April 2004 was half the figure for March 2004, and half that for April 2003. The advice I have received from the Department of Health and from doctors is that this is substantially attributable to the opening of the additional beds. I table the figures for ambulance diversions for the three tertiary hospitals, as I have indicated to the House. [See paper No 2313.] Mr J.A. McGINTY: Substantially as a result of the initiative, the April 2004 ambulance diversion figure was the lowest this calendar year. This was achieved largely as a consequence of opening additional beds. It is early days. The complete strategy is yet to cut in, although the most important part is well under away; namely, the opening of the additional beds. The strategy was developed in consultation with doctors, nurses and ambulance officers working in the frontline in our emergency departments delivering emergency medicine to the people of Western Australia. I trusted them to tell me what would make our system work better than it has for a long time. The early indications - I rate them no higher than that - are that it seems to be working. That leads us with some confidence to say that, short of an absolute catastrophe, our emergency departments should be able to cope and to provide world-class health care this winter to the people of Perth.
This morning I tabled in the House the Government’s comprehensive strategy to enable our emergency departments to better cope during the forthcoming peak demand period of winter. The document sets out a seven-point plan to enable our emergency departments to better cope. The plan’s key element is the opening of 332 additional general acute beds in our metropolitan government hospitals. Also, it includes reference to significantly increased funding for the ambulance service, the establishment of general practitioner emergency department clinics, capital investment, greater use of secondary hospitals, demand management and better management within the health system. I am very pleased to report to the House that one-third of those beds - that is, 119 of those 332 winter beds - have been opened already. This is a key component of the strategy. Forty-five of those opened beds are in tertiary hospitals, with 74 in secondary hospitals. Those beds have already had an impact on the functioning of our hospital emergency departments. The total number of ambulance diversion hours for April 2004 was half the figure for March 2004, and half that for April 2003. The advice I have received from the Department of Health and from doctors is that this is substantially attributable to the opening of the additional beds. I table the figures for ambulance diversions for the three tertiary hospitals, as I have indicated to the House. [See paper No 2313.] Mr J.A. McGINTY: Substantially as a result of the initiative, the April 2004 ambulance diversion figure was the lowest this calendar year. This was achieved largely as a consequence of opening additional beds. It is early days. The complete strategy is yet to cut in, although the most important part is well under away; namely, the opening of the additional beds. The strategy was developed in consultation with doctors, nurses and ambulance officers working in the frontline in our emergency departments delivering emergency medicine to the people of Western Australia. I trusted them to tell me what would make our system work better than it has for a long time. The early indications - I rate them no higher than that - are that it seems to be working. That leads us with some confidence to say that, short of an absolute catastrophe, our emergency departments should be able to cope and to provide world-class health care this winter to the people of Perth.
I am very pleased to report to the House that one-third of those beds - that is, 119 of those 332 winter beds - have been opened already. This is a key component of the strategy. Forty-five of those opened beds are in tertiary hospitals, with 74 in secondary hospitals. Those beds have already had an impact on the functioning of our hospital emergency departments. The total number of ambulance diversion hours for April 2004 was half the figure for March 2004, and half that for April 2003. The advice I have received from the Department of Health and from doctors is that this is substantially attributable to the opening of the additional beds. I table the figures for ambulance diversions for the three tertiary hospitals, as I have indicated to the House. [See paper No 2313.] Mr J.A. McGINTY: Substantially as a result of the initiative, the April 2004 ambulance diversion figure was the lowest this calendar year. This was achieved largely as a consequence of opening additional beds. It is early days. The complete strategy is yet to cut in, although the most important part is well under away; namely, the opening of the additional beds. The strategy was developed in consultation with doctors, nurses and ambulance officers working in the frontline in our emergency departments delivering emergency medicine to the people of Western Australia. I trusted them to tell me what would make our system work better than it has for a long time. The early indications - I rate them no higher than that - are that it seems to be working. That leads us with some confidence to say that, short of an absolute catastrophe, our emergency departments should be able to cope and to provide world-class health care this winter to the people of Perth.
[See paper No 2313.] Mr J.A. McGINTY: Substantially as a result of the initiative, the April 2004 ambulance diversion figure was the lowest this calendar year. This was achieved largely as a consequence of opening additional beds. It is early days. The complete strategy is yet to cut in, although the most important part is well under away; namely, the opening of the additional beds. The strategy was developed in consultation with doctors, nurses and ambulance officers working in the frontline in our emergency departments delivering emergency medicine to the people of Western Australia. I trusted them to tell me what would make our system work better than it has for a long time. The early indications - I rate them no higher than that - are that it seems to be working. That leads us with some confidence to say that, short of an absolute catastrophe, our emergency departments should be able to cope and to provide world-class health care this winter to the people of Perth.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: Substantially as a result of the initiative, the April 2004 ambulance diversion figure was the lowest this calendar year. This was achieved largely as a consequence of opening additional beds. It is early days. The complete strategy is yet to cut in, although the most important part is well under away; namely, the opening of the additional beds. The strategy was developed in consultation with doctors, nurses and ambulance officers working in the frontline in our emergency departments delivering emergency medicine to the people of Western Australia. I trusted them to tell me what would make our system work better than it has for a long time. The early indications - I rate them no higher than that - are that it seems to be working. That leads us with some confidence to say that, short of an absolute catastrophe, our emergency departments should be able to cope and to provide world-class health care this winter to the people of Perth.
The strategy was developed in consultation with doctors, nurses and ambulance officers working in the frontline in our emergency departments delivering emergency medicine to the people of Western Australia. I trusted them to tell me what would make our system work better than it has for a long time. The early indications - I rate them no higher than that - are that it seems to be working. That leads us with some confidence to say that, short of an absolute catastrophe, our emergency departments should be able to cope and to provide world-class health care this winter to the people of Perth.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: This morning I tabled in the House the Government’s comprehensive strategy to enable our emergency departments to better cope during the forthcoming peak demand period of winter. The document sets out a seven-point plan to enable our emergency departments to better cope. The plan’s key element is the opening of 332 additional general acute beds in our metropolitan government hospitals. Also, it includes reference to significantly increased funding for the ambulance service, the establishment of general practitioner emergency department clinics, capital investment, greater use of secondary hospitals, demand management and better management within the health system. I am very pleased to report to the House that one-third of those beds - that is, 119 of those 332 winter beds - have been opened already. This is a key component of the strategy. Forty-five of those opened beds are in tertiary hospitals, with 74 in secondary hospitals. Those beds have already had an impact on the functioning of our hospital emergency departments. The total number of ambulance diversion hours for April 2004 was half the figure for March 2004, and half that for April 2003. The advice I have received from the Department of Health and from doctors is that this is substantially attributable to the opening of the additional beds. I table the figures for ambulance diversions for the three tertiary hospitals, as I have indicated to the House. [See paper No 2313.] Mr J.A. McGINTY: Substantially as a result of the initiative, the April 2004 ambulance diversion figure was the lowest this calendar year. This was achieved largely as a consequence of opening additional beds. It is early days. The complete strategy is yet to cut in, although the most important part is well under away; namely, the opening of the additional beds. The strategy was developed in consultation with doctors, nurses and ambulance officers working in the frontline in our emergency departments delivering emergency medicine to the people of Western Australia. I trusted them to tell me what would make our system work better than it has for a long time. The early indications - I rate them no higher than that - are that it seems to be working. That leads us with some confidence to say that, short of an absolute catastrophe, our emergency departments should be able to cope and to provide world-class health care this winter to the people of Perth.
This morning I tabled in the House the Government’s comprehensive strategy to enable our emergency departments to better cope during the forthcoming peak demand period of winter. The document sets out a seven-point plan to enable our emergency departments to better cope. The plan’s key element is the opening of 332 additional general acute beds in our metropolitan government hospitals. Also, it includes reference to significantly increased funding for the ambulance service, the establishment of general practitioner emergency department clinics, capital investment, greater use of secondary hospitals, demand management and better management within the health system. I am very pleased to report to the House that one-third of those beds - that is, 119 of those 332 winter beds - have been opened already. This is a key component of the strategy. Forty-five of those opened beds are in tertiary hospitals, with 74 in secondary hospitals. Those beds have already had an impact on the functioning of our hospital emergency departments. The total number of ambulance diversion hours for April 2004 was half the figure for March 2004, and half that for April 2003. The advice I have received from the Department of Health and from doctors is that this is substantially attributable to the opening of the additional beds. I table the figures for ambulance diversions for the three tertiary hospitals, as I have indicated to the House. [See paper No 2313.] Mr J.A. McGINTY: Substantially as a result of the initiative, the April 2004 ambulance diversion figure was the lowest this calendar year. This was achieved largely as a consequence of opening additional beds. It is early days. The complete strategy is yet to cut in, although the most important part is well under away; namely, the opening of the additional beds. The strategy was developed in consultation with doctors, nurses and ambulance officers working in the frontline in our emergency departments delivering emergency medicine to the people of Western Australia. I trusted them to tell me what would make our system work better than it has for a long time. The early indications - I rate them no higher than that - are that it seems to be working. That leads us with some confidence to say that, short of an absolute catastrophe, our emergency departments should be able to cope and to provide world-class health care this winter to the people of Perth.
I am very pleased to report to the House that one-third of those beds - that is, 119 of those 332 winter beds - have been opened already. This is a key component of the strategy. Forty-five of those opened beds are in tertiary hospitals, with 74 in secondary hospitals. Those beds have already had an impact on the functioning of our hospital emergency departments. The total number of ambulance diversion hours for April 2004 was half the figure for March 2004, and half that for April 2003. The advice I have received from the Department of Health and from doctors is that this is substantially attributable to the opening of the additional beds. I table the figures for ambulance diversions for the three tertiary hospitals, as I have indicated to the House. [See paper No 2313.] Mr J.A. McGINTY: Substantially as a result of the initiative, the April 2004 ambulance diversion figure was the lowest this calendar year. This was achieved largely as a consequence of opening additional beds. It is early days. The complete strategy is yet to cut in, although the most important part is well under away; namely, the opening of the additional beds. The strategy was developed in consultation with doctors, nurses and ambulance officers working in the frontline in our emergency departments delivering emergency medicine to the people of Western Australia. I trusted them to tell me what would make our system work better than it has for a long time. The early indications - I rate them no higher than that - are that it seems to be working. That leads us with some confidence to say that, short of an absolute catastrophe, our emergency departments should be able to cope and to provide world-class health care this winter to the people of Perth.
[See paper No 2313.] Mr J.A. McGINTY: Substantially as a result of the initiative, the April 2004 ambulance diversion figure was the lowest this calendar year. This was achieved largely as a consequence of opening additional beds. It is early days. The complete strategy is yet to cut in, although the most important part is well under away; namely, the opening of the additional beds. The strategy was developed in consultation with doctors, nurses and ambulance officers working in the frontline in our emergency departments delivering emergency medicine to the people of Western Australia. I trusted them to tell me what would make our system work better than it has for a long time. The early indications - I rate them no higher than that - are that it seems to be working. That leads us with some confidence to say that, short of an absolute catastrophe, our emergency departments should be able to cope and to provide world-class health care this winter to the people of Perth.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: Substantially as a result of the initiative, the April 2004 ambulance diversion figure was the lowest this calendar year. This was achieved largely as a consequence of opening additional beds. It is early days. The complete strategy is yet to cut in, although the most important part is well under away; namely, the opening of the additional beds. The strategy was developed in consultation with doctors, nurses and ambulance officers working in the frontline in our emergency departments delivering emergency medicine to the people of Western Australia. I trusted them to tell me what would make our system work better than it has for a long time. The early indications - I rate them no higher than that - are that it seems to be working. That leads us with some confidence to say that, short of an absolute catastrophe, our emergency departments should be able to cope and to provide world-class health care this winter to the people of Perth.
The strategy was developed in consultation with doctors, nurses and ambulance officers working in the frontline in our emergency departments delivering emergency medicine to the people of Western Australia. I trusted them to tell me what would make our system work better than it has for a long time. The early indications - I rate them no higher than that - are that it seems to be working. That leads us with some confidence to say that, short of an absolute catastrophe, our emergency departments should be able to cope and to provide world-class health care this winter to the people of Perth.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.