Ms Mettam questions the Premier about the delayed implementation of recommendations following Aishwarya Aswath's death, particularly regarding the supernumerary resuscitation team at Perth Children's Hospital. The Premier's response deflects blame, highlights the government's role in opening the hospital, and affirms commitment to implementing the recommendations.

AnsweredQoN 364Legislative Assembly
Asked
14 June 2023
Portfolio
Premier

QuestionView source ↗

PERTH CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL — EMERGENCY
DEPARTMENT — RESUSCITATION TEAM
364. Ms L. METTAM to the Premier:
I refer to the 30 recommendations
from the independent inquiry into Perth Children's Hospital following
the tragic death of Aishwarya Aswath and evidence provided by the Child and
Adolescent Health Service during the annual report hearings that as of 16 February
2023, only 18 of them had been implemented.
(1) As the
minister originally responsible, is it acceptable that, after two years, Perth
Children's Hospital still does not have a supernumerary resuscitation
team in place?
(2) When will all 30 recommendations
be implemented?

AnswerView source ↗

(1)–(2) I
thank the member for the question. I remember Perth Children's Hospital
when I was the Minister for Health. This was the one that members opposite
could not open. This was the one for which they could not even get the lead out of the water. It took our government, with its
determination and resolve, to actually open the hospital in the first
place.
CAHS and this government are
absolutely committed to implementing the recommendations of the report following Aishwarya's death in April 2021.
I am confident that CAHS is prioritising this work, and expect it to
continue to as a priority. I have spoken to the Minister for Health. She is
very focused on this and is taking a great
leadership role in making sure that we continue to implement the
recommendations, but this is not a tick-a-box exercise. This is actually
continuing to drive and guide a complex organisation with difficult relationships while it continues to
provide world-class health care for the kids of Western Australia . This is about ensuring lasting and meaningful
change to our health system. That is a commitment that I made to Aswath
and Prasitha at the time and following this dreadful, tragic set of
circumstances, and we will continue to make sure that we build on that
improvement, both in Aishwarya's memory and on behalf of all the sick
kids of Western Australia.

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