❓ Inquiry regarding the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme (PATS) in WA, covering changes, escort funding criteria, demographics, and transport methods. The response provides detailed data and explanations.
AnsweredQoN 1272Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
Regarding the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme (PATS) administered by the Western Australian Community Health Service (WACHS), I ask: (a) have any substantive changes been made to PATS during the past 12 months: (i) if yes to (a), will the Minister please outline these changes; and (ii) if yes to (a), what methods have been used to communicate and explain these changes to the public; (b) under what circumstances is WACHS obliged to fund patient escorts: (i) what are the grounds on which WACHS can refuse to fund an escort; (ii) is WACHS obliged to fund an escort if the application has been authorised by a doctor; and (iii) can the administrators of PATS override a doctor's recommendation regarding the use of an escort: (A) if yes to (b)(iii), will the Minister please explain the circumstances in which this is permitted; and (c) what proportion of people using PATS are Aboriginal versus non-Aboriginal, region: (i) what percentage of patients using PATS are accompanied by an escort who is a health professional; and (ii) of those who are not accompanied by an escort, who monitors patient health and safety enroute; and (d) how many patients, by region, are assisted to travel under PATS by bus and by plane?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
12 August 2014
Responded by
Parliamentary Secretary representing the Minister for Health
Response time
56 days
As at 17 June 2014 -
(a) There have been no changes to the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme (PATS) in the past 12 months.
(i-ii) Not applicable.
(b) An applicant is eligible for an escort where:
· the applicant being escorted is a dependent child;
· Centrelink has determined that the applicant is under the care of a principal carer;
· home dialysis patients are receiving training (a carer is required to attend as a condition of the medical specialist treatment);
· the escort is legally required to make decisions on behalf of the applicant; and/or
· the referring practitioner, prior to departure, specifies the reason why an escort's presence is essential, on the PATS Application form, based on their assessment that the applicant would be unable to manage their treatment alone, particularly if the applicant is undergoing treatment for cancer or is disabled or frail.
(i) The WA Country Health Service (WACHS) may refuse to fund an escort when the PATS escort's eligible criteria outlined in (b) above has not been satisfied.
(ii) WACHS is obliged to fund an escort when the referring medical practitioner has provided sufficient justification on the PATS application form that an escort is essential to accompany the patient.
(iii) The PATS administrators may reject an application when the escort's eligibility criteria outlined in (b) above has not been satisfied. The PATS administrators will generally consult the referring medical practitioner or a local WACHS Regional/Senior Medical Officer when insufficient information is provided to determine if an escort is essential. When an escort has not been requested by the referring medical practitioner, however there is sufficient grounds supporting the need for an escort, the local WACHS Regional Director can authorise the payment of a subsidy for an escort.
(iv) Not applicable.
(c) The provision of information regarding Aboriginality is not a mandatory requirement for completing PATS applications and therefore, may not always be recorded. The table below shows the number of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people per region that have completed this section of the form during the period 1 July 2013 to 31 May 2014.
WACHS Region
Aboriginality
Other
Goldfields
243
4,043
Great Southern
78
3,522
Kimberley
1,651
2,152
Midwest
446
4,701
Pilbara
631
2,208
Wheatbelt
49
3,589
South West
1
4,452
Total
3,099
24,667
(i) PATS is mainly used by people that are accessing ambulatory and outpatient services or who are travelling for a planned admission. Where medically justified, a clinical escort can be requested by the referring practitioner. There were 52 trips (0.06%) during the period 1 July 2013 to 31 May 2014 involving the provision of a health professional escort.
(ii) When an escort is not deemed necessary by the referring practitioner, the patient is considered to be able to monitor their own health and safety en route.
(d) The table below shows the number of PATS trips per region by air and surface transport (includes bus and train travel) during the period 1 July 2013 to 31 May 2014.
WACHS Region
Air travel
Surface Bus/Train
Goldfields
2,287
996
Great Southern
800
321
Kimberley
5,323
1,922
Midwest
2,958
661
Pilbara
6,445
340
Wheatbelt
1
186
South West
1
487
Total
17,815
4,913
(a) There have been no changes to the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme (PATS) in the past 12 months.
(i-ii) Not applicable.
(b) An applicant is eligible for an escort where:
· the applicant being escorted is a dependent child;
· Centrelink has determined that the applicant is under the care of a principal carer;
· home dialysis patients are receiving training (a carer is required to attend as a condition of the medical specialist treatment);
· the escort is legally required to make decisions on behalf of the applicant; and/or
· the referring practitioner, prior to departure, specifies the reason why an escort's presence is essential, on the PATS Application form, based on their assessment that the applicant would be unable to manage their treatment alone, particularly if the applicant is undergoing treatment for cancer or is disabled or frail.
(i) The WA Country Health Service (WACHS) may refuse to fund an escort when the PATS escort's eligible criteria outlined in (b) above has not been satisfied.
(ii) WACHS is obliged to fund an escort when the referring medical practitioner has provided sufficient justification on the PATS application form that an escort is essential to accompany the patient.
(iii) The PATS administrators may reject an application when the escort's eligibility criteria outlined in (b) above has not been satisfied. The PATS administrators will generally consult the referring medical practitioner or a local WACHS Regional/Senior Medical Officer when insufficient information is provided to determine if an escort is essential. When an escort has not been requested by the referring medical practitioner, however there is sufficient grounds supporting the need for an escort, the local WACHS Regional Director can authorise the payment of a subsidy for an escort.
(iv) Not applicable.
(c) The provision of information regarding Aboriginality is not a mandatory requirement for completing PATS applications and therefore, may not always be recorded. The table below shows the number of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people per region that have completed this section of the form during the period 1 July 2013 to 31 May 2014.
WACHS Region
Aboriginality
Other
Goldfields
243
4,043
Great Southern
78
3,522
Kimberley
1,651
2,152
Midwest
446
4,701
Pilbara
631
2,208
Wheatbelt
49
3,589
South West
1
4,452
Total
3,099
24,667
(i) PATS is mainly used by people that are accessing ambulatory and outpatient services or who are travelling for a planned admission. Where medically justified, a clinical escort can be requested by the referring practitioner. There were 52 trips (0.06%) during the period 1 July 2013 to 31 May 2014 involving the provision of a health professional escort.
(ii) When an escort is not deemed necessary by the referring practitioner, the patient is considered to be able to monitor their own health and safety en route.
(d) The table below shows the number of PATS trips per region by air and surface transport (includes bus and train travel) during the period 1 July 2013 to 31 May 2014.
WACHS Region
Air travel
Surface Bus/Train
Goldfields
2,287
996
Great Southern
800
321
Kimberley
5,323
1,922
Midwest
2,958
661
Pilbara
6,445
340
Wheatbelt
1
186
South West
1
487
Total
17,815
4,913
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