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❓ WA Parliamentary Question on Notice regarding unfilled Speech Pathologist and Occupational Therapist vacancies and waiting times at metropolitan hospitals as of December 31, 2010. The answer provides specific data for each hospital group.

AnsweredQoN 5610Legislative Assembly

Asked

24 May 2011

Member

Mr R.H. Cook

Portfolio

Health

QuestionView source ↗

As at 31 December 2010, for each metropolitan hospital:
(a) how many unfilled vacancies existed for:
(i) speech pathologists;
(ii) occupational therapists; and
(iii) speech therapists;
(b) how long has each vacancy existed;
(c) what action is being taken to fill these positions; and
(d) what was the average waiting time to see a:
(i) speech pathologist;
(ii) occupational therapist; and
(iii) speech therapist?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered

9 August 2011

Responded by

Minister for Health

Response time

77 days

(d)(i) 3 weeks. (ii) Up to 3 working days of waiting time. (iii) 3 weeks waiting time. Swan Kalamunda Health Service (SKHS) (a)(i) Nil. (ii) Nil. (iii) Not applicable. (b - c) Not applicable. (d)(i) Kalamunda Inpatients - up to 2 days. Kalamunda Outpatients - Not applicable. Swan Inpatients - same day (if week day) Swan Outpatients - maximum 4 weeks (ii) Kalamunda and Swan Inpatients - are seen within 1 - 2 days. Home visit for discharge within 1 - 2 weeks. Outpatients - different for different clinics and different clinical priority: Hands Clinic - up to 4 weeks. Neuro outpatient clinic - up to 3 months. Home visiting for equipment - up to 3-4 months. Day Therapy Unit - up to 2 months. (iii) Not applicable. Sir Charles Gairdner Group (SCGG) (a)(i) Nil (Speech Pathology and Speech Therapist the same at OPH). (ii) Nil. (iii) Not applicable. (b - c) Not applicable. (d)(i) Waiting time depends upon clinical condition and setting. For example, acute inpatients are seen within 24-48 hours of referral. Outpatient waiting times vary significantly. For example, patients referred with swallowing problems are normally seen within 1-2 weeks and patients with communication problems (language/speech/voice) are seen within 2-6 weeks. Subsequent treatment allocations are made based on clinical need and available resource. High Priority Inpatient -within 48 hours (OPH). High Priority Outpatients- within one week. (ii) Occupational Therapy prioritise their waiting list depending on clinical diagnosis and acuity of the medical condition. For example emergency department patients are seen within 2 hours, ward inpatients are seen within 24-48 hours and outpatients are seen within 1 day to 6 weeks depending on the diagnosis and urgency. An acute hand injury outpatient will be seen within 1 day but a community long term disabled outpatient may need to wait several weeks. High Priority are seen within one week in all areas. All Inpatients are screened with 1-2 working days of admission (iii) Not applicable. South Metropolitan Area Health Service Armadale Hospital (a)(i - ii) Nil. (iii) Not applicable. (b - c) Not applicable. (d)(i) Inpatients: 24 hours. Outpatients: 1-3 weeks. (ii) Inpatients: Same day. Outpatients: Average 3 weeks (limited capacity to accept referrals from other hospitals due to limited FTE). CAEP/home visiting service: average 4 months (1-2 weeks for priority 1 and 6 months for priority 2). (iii) Not applicable. Bentley Hospital (a)(i & ii) Nil. (iii) Not applicable. (b - c) Not applicable. (d)(i) Inpatient: less than 24 hours. Outpatients: 1-3 weeks. (ii) Inpatients: 1-2 days. Outpatients: No general outpatient service available. ACTU: 8 weeks, ACAT: 6 weeks, CAEP/homevisiting: average 6 months, longest wait 9 ½ months. (iii) Not applicable. Fremantle Hospital (a)(i - ii) Nil. (iii) Not applicable. (b - c) Not applicable. (d)(i) Inpatients: Same day, usually within 2-3 hours. Outpatients: Prioritised according to degree of urgency. Currently wait times are 2 weeks for outpatient dysphagia, 2-4 weeks for outpatient communication, 6-8 weeks for voice disorders. (ii) No wait time to be seen as an inpatient. Average wait time for GP referred community patients in the areas of hand therapy, lymphoedema management and domiciliary home visiting (provision of domiciliary equipment and home modification) - 8 weeks from receipt of referral. (iii) Not applicable. Rockingham Peel Group (a)(i) 2.0 FTE. (ii) 0.8 FTE. (iii) Not applicable. (b) Speech positions since July 2010 however a Private contractor continued to provide ongoing Speech Pathology services for both inpatients and outpatients while recruitment into the new positions progressed. Occupational Therapist position vacancy existed for a few weeks following resignation and pending recruitment. (c) The standard recruitment processes were followed. (d)(i) Within 2 days for inpatient Speech Pathology and 1 - 2 weeks for outpatient Speech Pathology. (ii) No wait for inpatient Occupational Therapy and within 4 - 6 days for outpatient Occupational Therapy. (iii) Not applicable. Royal Perth Hospital (a)(i) Nil. (ii) 1 FTE. (iii) Not applicable. (b) 1 week. (c) The standard recruitment processes were followed. (d)(i) Inpatient - Urgent: 4 hours. Inpatient - Non urgent: 24 hours. Outpatient waiting times vary - dependent upon diagnosis, acuity and urgency flagged by referral source: Urgent: within 3 days; Non urgent: within 7 days. (ii) Inpatient:- Urgent - same working day. Inpatient non-urgent - within 2-3 days. Outpatients vary depending on diagnosis, acuity and urgency flagged by referral source: Urgent within 3 days; Non urgent within 7 - 15 days. (iii) Not applicable. Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on http://www.rtlib.com

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