❓ Ms. Stephens (Albany) asks about the expansion of palliative care staffing in regional WA. The Minister for Health details investments and increased staffing, including Aboriginal health workers, and links it to the implementation of voluntary assisted dying legislation.
AnsweredQoN 51Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PALLIATIVE CARE — REGIONAL SERVICES
51. Ms R.S. STEPHENS to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the McGowan Labor government's record
investment in palliative care services right across the state and its
commitment to enhancing the services in regional Western Australia.
(1) Can the
minister update the house on the expansion of staffing for palliative care
across regional WA?
(2) Can the
minister outline what this will mean for those people with life-limiting or
terminal illnesses in communities, such as mine, for Albany?
The SPEAKER : May I offer my congratulations on your
first question, too.
51. Ms R.S. STEPHENS to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the McGowan Labor government's record
investment in palliative care services right across the state and its
commitment to enhancing the services in regional Western Australia.
(1) Can the
minister update the house on the expansion of staffing for palliative care
across regional WA?
(2) Can the
minister outline what this will mean for those people with life-limiting or
terminal illnesses in communities, such as mine, for Albany?
The SPEAKER : May I offer my congratulations on your
first question, too.
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2)
May I also offer my congratulations to the member for Albany. Indeed, it was an
honour to be with the member for Albany recently at our public announcement on
the next phase of the radio oncology facility at Albany Health Campus. It is
terrific to work with the member on such an important project.
Another important project is the
McGowan government's investment in making sure that people in rural and
regional communities have access to palliative care. Many members in this
chamber will remember that the Joint Select
Committee on End of Life Choices recommended that additional resources be made available
to regional communities so that people in regional communities have access to
palliative care services just like those in the city. An additional $39.7 million
over four years was allocated to the WA Country Health Service's budget
as a result of those recommendations to ensure the rollout of those services.
This included $34.7 million to expand palliative care services in the regions,
enhance clinical services and governance, and the delivery of care support. The WA end-of-life and palliative care strategy 2018–2028 has as one
of its priorities that very goal: to make sure that people have access to good
quality end-of-life care and palliative care
regardless of who they are, where they live and how they live their life.
The rural palliative care program
is building our workforce capacity and improving access to specialist
palliative care services in regional Western Australia. I can report that good
progress has been made to increase access to locally placed teams, including an
additional 32.7 FTE in the regions as of March 2021. I seek to table a breakdown of the new regional palliative care staff,
broken down by region and profession.
[See paper 202 .]
Mr R.H. COOK : This means that we now have palliative
care medical consultants in every region. Many are operating on a drive-in drive-out
or fly-in fly-out model on a permanent basis, where that is possible,
particularly in the south west. I am pleased that I can also announce that we
have palliative care Aboriginal health workers in six regions, which will improve the cultural security of our palliative
care services and ensure that Aboriginal people and their families have
culturally respectful and appropriate care and access to culturally appropriate
information. The Kimberley, Pilbara,
midwest, wheatbelt, goldfields and south west have appointed 4.8 FTE to
Aboriginal health worker positions, and recruitment is planned for the
great southern.
Many members will be aware that our voluntary assisted dying
legislation—historic legislation, which passed through this place in 2019—is now in the advanced stages of its
implementation, ready to take effect in July this year . A lot of work
has been done in this area, but one of the things that we have to ensure is
that everyone has access to good quality
palliative care and services regardless of who they are or where they live. The
significant investment by the McGowan government now makes that a reality.
May I also offer my congratulations to the member for Albany. Indeed, it was an
honour to be with the member for Albany recently at our public announcement on
the next phase of the radio oncology facility at Albany Health Campus. It is
terrific to work with the member on such an important project.
Another important project is the
McGowan government's investment in making sure that people in rural and
regional communities have access to palliative care. Many members in this
chamber will remember that the Joint Select
Committee on End of Life Choices recommended that additional resources be made available
to regional communities so that people in regional communities have access to
palliative care services just like those in the city. An additional $39.7 million
over four years was allocated to the WA Country Health Service's budget
as a result of those recommendations to ensure the rollout of those services.
This included $34.7 million to expand palliative care services in the regions,
enhance clinical services and governance, and the delivery of care support. The WA end-of-life and palliative care strategy 2018–2028 has as one
of its priorities that very goal: to make sure that people have access to good
quality end-of-life care and palliative care
regardless of who they are, where they live and how they live their life.
The rural palliative care program
is building our workforce capacity and improving access to specialist
palliative care services in regional Western Australia. I can report that good
progress has been made to increase access to locally placed teams, including an
additional 32.7 FTE in the regions as of March 2021. I seek to table a breakdown of the new regional palliative care staff,
broken down by region and profession.
[See paper 202 .]
Mr R.H. COOK : This means that we now have palliative
care medical consultants in every region. Many are operating on a drive-in drive-out
or fly-in fly-out model on a permanent basis, where that is possible,
particularly in the south west. I am pleased that I can also announce that we
have palliative care Aboriginal health workers in six regions, which will improve the cultural security of our palliative
care services and ensure that Aboriginal people and their families have
culturally respectful and appropriate care and access to culturally appropriate
information. The Kimberley, Pilbara,
midwest, wheatbelt, goldfields and south west have appointed 4.8 FTE to
Aboriginal health worker positions, and recruitment is planned for the
great southern.
Many members will be aware that our voluntary assisted dying
legislation—historic legislation, which passed through this place in 2019—is now in the advanced stages of its
implementation, ready to take effect in July this year . A lot of work
has been done in this area, but one of the things that we have to ensure is
that everyone has access to good quality
palliative care and services regardless of who they are or where they live. The
significant investment by the McGowan government now makes that a reality.
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