❓ Opposition Leader asks about potential staff cuts at Fiona Stanley Hospital. The Minister denies the claim, stating funding has increased but hospitals need to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
AnsweredQoN 1026Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH — STAFFING —
FIONA STANLEY HOSPITAL
1026. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Minister for
Health:
Before I ask my question today, I begin by acknowledging that today is
White Ribbon Day and that domestic violence is a terrible social and criminal
act that we should all be aiming to confront. I also acknowledge that my
deputy, Roger Cook, and I recited and committed to the oath promising to stand
up, speak out and, above all, act to prevent men's violence against
women and children. I am sure that is something that all members in this place
support.
I refer to the budget cuts to hospitals and hospital staff as
foreshadowed by the Premier recently. Can the minister confirm that at a
briefing to staff at Fiona Stanley Hospital last week, the cuts discussed
included the reduction of between 400 and 500 full-time employees at that hospital?
FIONA STANLEY HOSPITAL
1026. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Minister for
Health:
Before I ask my question today, I begin by acknowledging that today is
White Ribbon Day and that domestic violence is a terrible social and criminal
act that we should all be aiming to confront. I also acknowledge that my
deputy, Roger Cook, and I recited and committed to the oath promising to stand
up, speak out and, above all, act to prevent men's violence against
women and children. I am sure that is something that all members in this place
support.
I refer to the budget cuts to hospitals and hospital staff as
foreshadowed by the Premier recently. Can the minister confirm that at a
briefing to staff at Fiona Stanley Hospital last week, the cuts discussed
included the reduction of between 400 and 500 full-time employees at that hospital?
AnswerView source ↗
The opening comment
to the question by the Leader of the Opposition is again clearly wrong. If he
had heard my responses to the shadow Minister for Health in previous questions
last week, he would be aware that there are no cuts to funding in the health
system in Western Australia; to the contrary, funding has gone up to all those
services. Last year's budget was about $8 billion and this year's
budget is, I think, about $8.2 billion. Funding for individual hospitals has
gone up by about 4.5 per cent this year—that is to all tertiary
hospitals. Across the system, staff have been employed beyond the budget of
hospitals. Although the budget is up four-point-something per cent, the
spending is higher than the budget they have been given. They have been told to
reduce the budget to fit the activity they are doing. During those
instructions, some unfortunate words were used by the person doing that
presentation and, in an email, they talked about instead of being a gold
service, it should be a silver service. I totally reject those words. They need
to provide the gold service and they have to provide the gold service, but at
the same cost; in fact, that same cost plus about eight per cent that other
equivalent hospitals throughout the country are able to provide. They need to
keep providing that same high standard of service that they have been
providing, but their costs are too high. The reason that their costs are too
high relates to staffing, wages and coding. A whole range of things can
contribute to the increased cost of our hospitals. They need to get their
efficiencies in order to make sure they are not exceeding the recognised
standard cost that is required to provide the service.
Mr M. McGowan : What about what I asked you?
Dr K.D. HAMES : What did the member ask me? Which bit did I
miss?
Mr M. McGowan : Can the minister confirm that at a briefing
to staff at Fiona Stanley Hospital last week, the cuts discussed include the
reduction of between 400 and 500 full-time employees at that hospital?
Dr K.D. HAMES : Yes, I can confirm that that is not
correct. I have told the Leader of the Opposition before about the numbers, but
those numbers are totally incorrect.
to the question by the Leader of the Opposition is again clearly wrong. If he
had heard my responses to the shadow Minister for Health in previous questions
last week, he would be aware that there are no cuts to funding in the health
system in Western Australia; to the contrary, funding has gone up to all those
services. Last year's budget was about $8 billion and this year's
budget is, I think, about $8.2 billion. Funding for individual hospitals has
gone up by about 4.5 per cent this year—that is to all tertiary
hospitals. Across the system, staff have been employed beyond the budget of
hospitals. Although the budget is up four-point-something per cent, the
spending is higher than the budget they have been given. They have been told to
reduce the budget to fit the activity they are doing. During those
instructions, some unfortunate words were used by the person doing that
presentation and, in an email, they talked about instead of being a gold
service, it should be a silver service. I totally reject those words. They need
to provide the gold service and they have to provide the gold service, but at
the same cost; in fact, that same cost plus about eight per cent that other
equivalent hospitals throughout the country are able to provide. They need to
keep providing that same high standard of service that they have been
providing, but their costs are too high. The reason that their costs are too
high relates to staffing, wages and coding. A whole range of things can
contribute to the increased cost of our hospitals. They need to get their
efficiencies in order to make sure they are not exceeding the recognised
standard cost that is required to provide the service.
Mr M. McGowan : What about what I asked you?
Dr K.D. HAMES : What did the member ask me? Which bit did I
miss?
Mr M. McGowan : Can the minister confirm that at a briefing
to staff at Fiona Stanley Hospital last week, the cuts discussed include the
reduction of between 400 and 500 full-time employees at that hospital?
Dr K.D. HAMES : Yes, I can confirm that that is not
correct. I have told the Leader of the Opposition before about the numbers, but
those numbers are totally incorrect.
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