❓ Opposition questions the Premier about record ambulance ramping in WA hospitals ahead of a planned easing of border restrictions. The Premier refutes the premise and explains contributing factors including elective surgery catch-up, COVID-19 streaming, increased mental health issues, and ambulance cleaning protocols.
AnsweredQoN 818Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
AMBULANCE RAMPING
818. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP to the Premier:
I look forward to government members
cheering me every time I get on my feet!
Can the Premier explain why Western Australian
hospitals have record ambulance ramping two weeks away from opening up to a travel
bubble, and why has this issue not been addressed after nine months of this
pandemic?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
818. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP to the Premier:
I look forward to government members
cheering me every time I get on my feet!
Can the Premier explain why Western Australian
hospitals have record ambulance ramping two weeks away from opening up to a travel
bubble, and why has this issue not been addressed after nine months of this
pandemic?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
AnswerView source ↗
Just so that the member understands,
the premise of his question is incorrect. The government will still insist upon
a controlled interstate border between Western Australia and the other states.
Bar the hard border, it is something that is unprecedented in the last 100
years in this country. If we had even suggested this measure a year ago, people
would have said that it was a preposterous and ridiculous suggestion. The
controlled border will continue in place.
When it comes to the situation in
our hospitals, our hospitals are first rate. Our health staff are world class
and our hospitals are world class here in Western Australia. Our emergency
departments are the best-performing EDs, as independently assessed, of anywhere
in the country. However, when it comes to the issues that we are currently dealing with a few factors are involved. Firstly,
we had around three months of very little or no elective surgery being conducted in our hospitals in Western Australia. A major catch-up is now going
on. We have had to catch up and process elective surgery at above 100 per cent
of the normal rate.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr M. McGOWAN : That fills
beds in our hospitals, which obviously causes some delays in getting people
from emergency departments into hospital
beds. If members think about that, it makes logical sense. Secondly, we have to stream people when they come into emergency
departments into two categories: respiratory and non-respiratory. That is a COVID-19 response measure. It is causing some delays in our emergency
departments. Thirdly, the advice from the director general of Health that I received
today is that mental health issues have significantly increased. There may be a
range of reasons for that and it is something that we are attempting to get to
the bottom of, but the increase in mental health issues creates some issues in
emergency departments, as you can imagine, Mr Speaker. Obviously, ambulance availability is affected by the cleaning regime,
which is a COVID safety measure that we have put in place. The
government has put in place hospital liaison managers in a range of hospitals
to deal with these issues. The pandemic has created ongoing consequences and
issues that the government is currently dealing with.
the premise of his question is incorrect. The government will still insist upon
a controlled interstate border between Western Australia and the other states.
Bar the hard border, it is something that is unprecedented in the last 100
years in this country. If we had even suggested this measure a year ago, people
would have said that it was a preposterous and ridiculous suggestion. The
controlled border will continue in place.
When it comes to the situation in
our hospitals, our hospitals are first rate. Our health staff are world class
and our hospitals are world class here in Western Australia. Our emergency
departments are the best-performing EDs, as independently assessed, of anywhere
in the country. However, when it comes to the issues that we are currently dealing with a few factors are involved. Firstly,
we had around three months of very little or no elective surgery being conducted in our hospitals in Western Australia. A major catch-up is now going
on. We have had to catch up and process elective surgery at above 100 per cent
of the normal rate.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr M. McGOWAN : That fills
beds in our hospitals, which obviously causes some delays in getting people
from emergency departments into hospital
beds. If members think about that, it makes logical sense. Secondly, we have to stream people when they come into emergency
departments into two categories: respiratory and non-respiratory. That is a COVID-19 response measure. It is causing some delays in our emergency
departments. Thirdly, the advice from the director general of Health that I received
today is that mental health issues have significantly increased. There may be a
range of reasons for that and it is something that we are attempting to get to
the bottom of, but the increase in mental health issues creates some issues in
emergency departments, as you can imagine, Mr Speaker. Obviously, ambulance availability is affected by the cleaning regime,
which is a COVID safety measure that we have put in place. The
government has put in place hospital liaison managers in a range of hospitals
to deal with these issues. The pandemic has created ongoing consequences and
issues that the government is currently dealing with.
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