❓ A parliamentary question regarding the adequacy of hospital facilities in Tom Price after a child with a broken arm was forced to travel to Port Hedland for treatment. The Minister defends the decision based on the severity of the fracture and available facilities.
AnsweredQoN 828Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TOM PRICE - HOSPITAL FACILITIES
I refer to the case of the Cullinan family from Tom Price who were forced to make a four-and-a-half hour emergency trip in the middle of the night to Port Hedland Regional Hospital three weeks ago to have their five-year-old son’s broken arm treated. (1) Why was it not possible for the Cullinan boy to be admitted to the hospital at Tom Price and to be X-rayed and have his arm reset in Tom Price, a community of almost 4 500 people; and why was the five-year-old and his distressed family forced to make this risky, and as they described it, nightmarish road trip to access surgery four and a half hours down the road in Port Hedland? (2) Why, after the arduous trip, was the boy simply stabilised at Port Hedland Regional Hospital at 1.30 am and then asked to present again at 7.30 the following morning for surgery? (3) What does the minister say to the Cullinans, who could not find commercial accommodation in Port Hedland and had to impose on a friend in the early hours of the morning to get shelter for themselves and the injured boy before returning to the hospital? (4) Does the minister still maintain that Tom Price residents have not lost basic services at their hospital following the minister’s staffing restructure? Mr J.A. McGINTY
I refer to the case of the Cullinan family from Tom Price who were forced to make a four-and-a-half hour emergency trip in the middle of the night to Port Hedland Regional Hospital three weeks ago to have their five-year-old son’s broken arm treated. (1) Why was it not possible for the Cullinan boy to be admitted to the hospital at Tom Price and to be X-rayed and have his arm reset in Tom Price, a community of almost 4 500 people; and why was the five-year-old and his distressed family forced to make this risky, and as they described it, nightmarish road trip to access surgery four and a half hours down the road in Port Hedland? (2) Why, after the arduous trip, was the boy simply stabilised at Port Hedland Regional Hospital at 1.30 am and then asked to present again at 7.30 the following morning for surgery? (3) What does the minister say to the Cullinans, who could not find commercial accommodation in Port Hedland and had to impose on a friend in the early hours of the morning to get shelter for themselves and the injured boy before returning to the hospital? (4) Does the minister still maintain that Tom Price residents have not lost basic services at their hospital following the minister’s staffing restructure? Mr J.A. McGINTY
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the Leader of the National Party for some notice of this question because it has enabled me to obtain the following advice from the Department of Health. (1) The child, Joe Cullinan, was assessed and X-rayed at Tom Price District Hospital after having been seen by a locum general practitioner providing on-call services to the hospital. The doctor at Tom Price discussed the care and treatment options for the child with the local general surgeon at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. Due to the degree of severity of the fracture it was considered by the surgeon that the most appropriate treatment was surgical intervention. As Port Hedland Regional Hospital has the facilities to care for a child with this type of injury the child was sent to the Port Hedland Regional Hospital. The family was advised by the locum GP in Tom Price that the Royal Flying Doctor Service was not available that night for the transfer of their son. As there were no commercial flights available from Tom Price to Perth or any connection to Port Hedland until at least the next day, the family elected to drive their son to Port Hedland for specialist medical care. (2) It is not known how the family came to believe that their child may be operated on immediately at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. What occurred was this. On arrival at Port Hedland Regional Hospital the senior medical officer who was on duty assessed the child and decided that, in his medical opinion, the child was able to wait without further harm until the morning for surgery. If the doctor had considered surgery to be needed urgently, he would have called in the surgeon immediately to review the patient and they would have arranged for emergency surgery at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. (3) Usually relatives of children coming to Port Hedland Regional Hospital are offered accommodation at the hospital’s hostel. It is there for that purpose. On that night a room was available but, in the short time available in getting this information together, it is not known whether it was offered to the family. (4) Tom Price residents have not lost basic services at their hospital due to any staffing restructuring. Tom Price District Hospital does not have an operating theatre, nor does it have a surgeon who could carry out this type of surgery.
(1) Why was it not possible for the Cullinan boy to be admitted to the hospital at Tom Price and to be X-rayed and have his arm reset in Tom Price, a community of almost 4 500 people; and why was the five-year-old and his distressed family forced to make this risky, and as they described it, nightmarish road trip to access surgery four and a half hours down the road in Port Hedland? (2) Why, after the arduous trip, was the boy simply stabilised at Port Hedland Regional Hospital at 1.30 am and then asked to present again at 7.30 the following morning for surgery? (3) What does the minister say to the Cullinans, who could not find commercial accommodation in Port Hedland and had to impose on a friend in the early hours of the morning to get shelter for themselves and the injured boy before returning to the hospital? (4) Does the minister still maintain that Tom Price residents have not lost basic services at their hospital following the minister’s staffing restructure? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I thank the Leader of the National Party for some notice of this question because it has enabled me to obtain the following advice from the Department of Health. (1) The child, Joe Cullinan, was assessed and X-rayed at Tom Price District Hospital after having been seen by a locum general practitioner providing on-call services to the hospital. The doctor at Tom Price discussed the care and treatment options for the child with the local general surgeon at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. Due to the degree of severity of the fracture it was considered by the surgeon that the most appropriate treatment was surgical intervention. As Port Hedland Regional Hospital has the facilities to care for a child with this type of injury the child was sent to the Port Hedland Regional Hospital. The family was advised by the locum GP in Tom Price that the Royal Flying Doctor Service was not available that night for the transfer of their son. As there were no commercial flights available from Tom Price to Perth or any connection to Port Hedland until at least the next day, the family elected to drive their son to Port Hedland for specialist medical care. (2) It is not known how the family came to believe that their child may be operated on immediately at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. What occurred was this. On arrival at Port Hedland Regional Hospital the senior medical officer who was on duty assessed the child and decided that, in his medical opinion, the child was able to wait without further harm until the morning for surgery. If the doctor had considered surgery to be needed urgently, he would have called in the surgeon immediately to review the patient and they would have arranged for emergency surgery at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. (3) Usually relatives of children coming to Port Hedland Regional Hospital are offered accommodation at the hospital’s hostel. It is there for that purpose. On that night a room was available but, in the short time available in getting this information together, it is not known whether it was offered to the family. (4) Tom Price residents have not lost basic services at their hospital due to any staffing restructuring. Tom Price District Hospital does not have an operating theatre, nor does it have a surgeon who could carry out this type of surgery.
(2) Why, after the arduous trip, was the boy simply stabilised at Port Hedland Regional Hospital at 1.30 am and then asked to present again at 7.30 the following morning for surgery? (3) What does the minister say to the Cullinans, who could not find commercial accommodation in Port Hedland and had to impose on a friend in the early hours of the morning to get shelter for themselves and the injured boy before returning to the hospital? (4) Does the minister still maintain that Tom Price residents have not lost basic services at their hospital following the minister’s staffing restructure? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I thank the Leader of the National Party for some notice of this question because it has enabled me to obtain the following advice from the Department of Health. (1) The child, Joe Cullinan, was assessed and X-rayed at Tom Price District Hospital after having been seen by a locum general practitioner providing on-call services to the hospital. The doctor at Tom Price discussed the care and treatment options for the child with the local general surgeon at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. Due to the degree of severity of the fracture it was considered by the surgeon that the most appropriate treatment was surgical intervention. As Port Hedland Regional Hospital has the facilities to care for a child with this type of injury the child was sent to the Port Hedland Regional Hospital. The family was advised by the locum GP in Tom Price that the Royal Flying Doctor Service was not available that night for the transfer of their son. As there were no commercial flights available from Tom Price to Perth or any connection to Port Hedland until at least the next day, the family elected to drive their son to Port Hedland for specialist medical care. (2) It is not known how the family came to believe that their child may be operated on immediately at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. What occurred was this. On arrival at Port Hedland Regional Hospital the senior medical officer who was on duty assessed the child and decided that, in his medical opinion, the child was able to wait without further harm until the morning for surgery. If the doctor had considered surgery to be needed urgently, he would have called in the surgeon immediately to review the patient and they would have arranged for emergency surgery at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. (3) Usually relatives of children coming to Port Hedland Regional Hospital are offered accommodation at the hospital’s hostel. It is there for that purpose. On that night a room was available but, in the short time available in getting this information together, it is not known whether it was offered to the family. (4) Tom Price residents have not lost basic services at their hospital due to any staffing restructuring. Tom Price District Hospital does not have an operating theatre, nor does it have a surgeon who could carry out this type of surgery.
(3) What does the minister say to the Cullinans, who could not find commercial accommodation in Port Hedland and had to impose on a friend in the early hours of the morning to get shelter for themselves and the injured boy before returning to the hospital? (4) Does the minister still maintain that Tom Price residents have not lost basic services at their hospital following the minister’s staffing restructure? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I thank the Leader of the National Party for some notice of this question because it has enabled me to obtain the following advice from the Department of Health. (1) The child, Joe Cullinan, was assessed and X-rayed at Tom Price District Hospital after having been seen by a locum general practitioner providing on-call services to the hospital. The doctor at Tom Price discussed the care and treatment options for the child with the local general surgeon at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. Due to the degree of severity of the fracture it was considered by the surgeon that the most appropriate treatment was surgical intervention. As Port Hedland Regional Hospital has the facilities to care for a child with this type of injury the child was sent to the Port Hedland Regional Hospital. The family was advised by the locum GP in Tom Price that the Royal Flying Doctor Service was not available that night for the transfer of their son. As there were no commercial flights available from Tom Price to Perth or any connection to Port Hedland until at least the next day, the family elected to drive their son to Port Hedland for specialist medical care. (2) It is not known how the family came to believe that their child may be operated on immediately at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. What occurred was this. On arrival at Port Hedland Regional Hospital the senior medical officer who was on duty assessed the child and decided that, in his medical opinion, the child was able to wait without further harm until the morning for surgery. If the doctor had considered surgery to be needed urgently, he would have called in the surgeon immediately to review the patient and they would have arranged for emergency surgery at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. (3) Usually relatives of children coming to Port Hedland Regional Hospital are offered accommodation at the hospital’s hostel. It is there for that purpose. On that night a room was available but, in the short time available in getting this information together, it is not known whether it was offered to the family. (4) Tom Price residents have not lost basic services at their hospital due to any staffing restructuring. Tom Price District Hospital does not have an operating theatre, nor does it have a surgeon who could carry out this type of surgery.
(4) Does the minister still maintain that Tom Price residents have not lost basic services at their hospital following the minister’s staffing restructure? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I thank the Leader of the National Party for some notice of this question because it has enabled me to obtain the following advice from the Department of Health. (1) The child, Joe Cullinan, was assessed and X-rayed at Tom Price District Hospital after having been seen by a locum general practitioner providing on-call services to the hospital. The doctor at Tom Price discussed the care and treatment options for the child with the local general surgeon at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. Due to the degree of severity of the fracture it was considered by the surgeon that the most appropriate treatment was surgical intervention. As Port Hedland Regional Hospital has the facilities to care for a child with this type of injury the child was sent to the Port Hedland Regional Hospital. The family was advised by the locum GP in Tom Price that the Royal Flying Doctor Service was not available that night for the transfer of their son. As there were no commercial flights available from Tom Price to Perth or any connection to Port Hedland until at least the next day, the family elected to drive their son to Port Hedland for specialist medical care. (2) It is not known how the family came to believe that their child may be operated on immediately at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. What occurred was this. On arrival at Port Hedland Regional Hospital the senior medical officer who was on duty assessed the child and decided that, in his medical opinion, the child was able to wait without further harm until the morning for surgery. If the doctor had considered surgery to be needed urgently, he would have called in the surgeon immediately to review the patient and they would have arranged for emergency surgery at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. (3) Usually relatives of children coming to Port Hedland Regional Hospital are offered accommodation at the hospital’s hostel. It is there for that purpose. On that night a room was available but, in the short time available in getting this information together, it is not known whether it was offered to the family. (4) Tom Price residents have not lost basic services at their hospital due to any staffing restructuring. Tom Price District Hospital does not have an operating theatre, nor does it have a surgeon who could carry out this type of surgery.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I thank the Leader of the National Party for some notice of this question because it has enabled me to obtain the following advice from the Department of Health. (1) The child, Joe Cullinan, was assessed and X-rayed at Tom Price District Hospital after having been seen by a locum general practitioner providing on-call services to the hospital. The doctor at Tom Price discussed the care and treatment options for the child with the local general surgeon at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. Due to the degree of severity of the fracture it was considered by the surgeon that the most appropriate treatment was surgical intervention. As Port Hedland Regional Hospital has the facilities to care for a child with this type of injury the child was sent to the Port Hedland Regional Hospital. The family was advised by the locum GP in Tom Price that the Royal Flying Doctor Service was not available that night for the transfer of their son. As there were no commercial flights available from Tom Price to Perth or any connection to Port Hedland until at least the next day, the family elected to drive their son to Port Hedland for specialist medical care. (2) It is not known how the family came to believe that their child may be operated on immediately at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. What occurred was this. On arrival at Port Hedland Regional Hospital the senior medical officer who was on duty assessed the child and decided that, in his medical opinion, the child was able to wait without further harm until the morning for surgery. If the doctor had considered surgery to be needed urgently, he would have called in the surgeon immediately to review the patient and they would have arranged for emergency surgery at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. (3) Usually relatives of children coming to Port Hedland Regional Hospital are offered accommodation at the hospital’s hostel. It is there for that purpose. On that night a room was available but, in the short time available in getting this information together, it is not known whether it was offered to the family. (4) Tom Price residents have not lost basic services at their hospital due to any staffing restructuring. Tom Price District Hospital does not have an operating theatre, nor does it have a surgeon who could carry out this type of surgery.
I thank the Leader of the National Party for some notice of this question because it has enabled me to obtain the following advice from the Department of Health. (1) The child, Joe Cullinan, was assessed and X-rayed at Tom Price District Hospital after having been seen by a locum general practitioner providing on-call services to the hospital. The doctor at Tom Price discussed the care and treatment options for the child with the local general surgeon at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. Due to the degree of severity of the fracture it was considered by the surgeon that the most appropriate treatment was surgical intervention. As Port Hedland Regional Hospital has the facilities to care for a child with this type of injury the child was sent to the Port Hedland Regional Hospital. The family was advised by the locum GP in Tom Price that the Royal Flying Doctor Service was not available that night for the transfer of their son. As there were no commercial flights available from Tom Price to Perth or any connection to Port Hedland until at least the next day, the family elected to drive their son to Port Hedland for specialist medical care. (2) It is not known how the family came to believe that their child may be operated on immediately at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. What occurred was this. On arrival at Port Hedland Regional Hospital the senior medical officer who was on duty assessed the child and decided that, in his medical opinion, the child was able to wait without further harm until the morning for surgery. If the doctor had considered surgery to be needed urgently, he would have called in the surgeon immediately to review the patient and they would have arranged for emergency surgery at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. (3) Usually relatives of children coming to Port Hedland Regional Hospital are offered accommodation at the hospital’s hostel. It is there for that purpose. On that night a room was available but, in the short time available in getting this information together, it is not known whether it was offered to the family. (4) Tom Price residents have not lost basic services at their hospital due to any staffing restructuring. Tom Price District Hospital does not have an operating theatre, nor does it have a surgeon who could carry out this type of surgery.
(1) The child, Joe Cullinan, was assessed and X-rayed at Tom Price District Hospital after having been seen by a locum general practitioner providing on-call services to the hospital. The doctor at Tom Price discussed the care and treatment options for the child with the local general surgeon at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. Due to the degree of severity of the fracture it was considered by the surgeon that the most appropriate treatment was surgical intervention. As Port Hedland Regional Hospital has the facilities to care for a child with this type of injury the child was sent to the Port Hedland Regional Hospital. The family was advised by the locum GP in Tom Price that the Royal Flying Doctor Service was not available that night for the transfer of their son. As there were no commercial flights available from Tom Price to Perth or any connection to Port Hedland until at least the next day, the family elected to drive their son to Port Hedland for specialist medical care. (2) It is not known how the family came to believe that their child may be operated on immediately at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. What occurred was this. On arrival at Port Hedland Regional Hospital the senior medical officer who was on duty assessed the child and decided that, in his medical opinion, the child was able to wait without further harm until the morning for surgery. If the doctor had considered surgery to be needed urgently, he would have called in the surgeon immediately to review the patient and they would have arranged for emergency surgery at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. (3) Usually relatives of children coming to Port Hedland Regional Hospital are offered accommodation at the hospital’s hostel. It is there for that purpose. On that night a room was available but, in the short time available in getting this information together, it is not known whether it was offered to the family. (4) Tom Price residents have not lost basic services at their hospital due to any staffing restructuring. Tom Price District Hospital does not have an operating theatre, nor does it have a surgeon who could carry out this type of surgery.
(3) Usually relatives of children coming to Port Hedland Regional Hospital are offered accommodation at the hospital’s hostel. It is there for that purpose. On that night a room was available but, in the short time available in getting this information together, it is not known whether it was offered to the family. (4) Tom Price residents have not lost basic services at their hospital due to any staffing restructuring. Tom Price District Hospital does not have an operating theatre, nor does it have a surgeon who could carry out this type of surgery.
(4) Tom Price residents have not lost basic services at their hospital due to any staffing restructuring. Tom Price District Hospital does not have an operating theatre, nor does it have a surgeon who could carry out this type of surgery.
(1) Why was it not possible for the Cullinan boy to be admitted to the hospital at Tom Price and to be X-rayed and have his arm reset in Tom Price, a community of almost 4 500 people; and why was the five-year-old and his distressed family forced to make this risky, and as they described it, nightmarish road trip to access surgery four and a half hours down the road in Port Hedland? (2) Why, after the arduous trip, was the boy simply stabilised at Port Hedland Regional Hospital at 1.30 am and then asked to present again at 7.30 the following morning for surgery? (3) What does the minister say to the Cullinans, who could not find commercial accommodation in Port Hedland and had to impose on a friend in the early hours of the morning to get shelter for themselves and the injured boy before returning to the hospital? (4) Does the minister still maintain that Tom Price residents have not lost basic services at their hospital following the minister’s staffing restructure? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I thank the Leader of the National Party for some notice of this question because it has enabled me to obtain the following advice from the Department of Health. (1) The child, Joe Cullinan, was assessed and X-rayed at Tom Price District Hospital after having been seen by a locum general practitioner providing on-call services to the hospital. The doctor at Tom Price discussed the care and treatment options for the child with the local general surgeon at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. Due to the degree of severity of the fracture it was considered by the surgeon that the most appropriate treatment was surgical intervention. As Port Hedland Regional Hospital has the facilities to care for a child with this type of injury the child was sent to the Port Hedland Regional Hospital. The family was advised by the locum GP in Tom Price that the Royal Flying Doctor Service was not available that night for the transfer of their son. As there were no commercial flights available from Tom Price to Perth or any connection to Port Hedland until at least the next day, the family elected to drive their son to Port Hedland for specialist medical care. (2) It is not known how the family came to believe that their child may be operated on immediately at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. What occurred was this. On arrival at Port Hedland Regional Hospital the senior medical officer who was on duty assessed the child and decided that, in his medical opinion, the child was able to wait without further harm until the morning for surgery. If the doctor had considered surgery to be needed urgently, he would have called in the surgeon immediately to review the patient and they would have arranged for emergency surgery at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. (3) Usually relatives of children coming to Port Hedland Regional Hospital are offered accommodation at the hospital’s hostel. It is there for that purpose. On that night a room was available but, in the short time available in getting this information together, it is not known whether it was offered to the family. (4) Tom Price residents have not lost basic services at their hospital due to any staffing restructuring. Tom Price District Hospital does not have an operating theatre, nor does it have a surgeon who could carry out this type of surgery.
(2) Why, after the arduous trip, was the boy simply stabilised at Port Hedland Regional Hospital at 1.30 am and then asked to present again at 7.30 the following morning for surgery? (3) What does the minister say to the Cullinans, who could not find commercial accommodation in Port Hedland and had to impose on a friend in the early hours of the morning to get shelter for themselves and the injured boy before returning to the hospital? (4) Does the minister still maintain that Tom Price residents have not lost basic services at their hospital following the minister’s staffing restructure? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I thank the Leader of the National Party for some notice of this question because it has enabled me to obtain the following advice from the Department of Health. (1) The child, Joe Cullinan, was assessed and X-rayed at Tom Price District Hospital after having been seen by a locum general practitioner providing on-call services to the hospital. The doctor at Tom Price discussed the care and treatment options for the child with the local general surgeon at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. Due to the degree of severity of the fracture it was considered by the surgeon that the most appropriate treatment was surgical intervention. As Port Hedland Regional Hospital has the facilities to care for a child with this type of injury the child was sent to the Port Hedland Regional Hospital. The family was advised by the locum GP in Tom Price that the Royal Flying Doctor Service was not available that night for the transfer of their son. As there were no commercial flights available from Tom Price to Perth or any connection to Port Hedland until at least the next day, the family elected to drive their son to Port Hedland for specialist medical care. (2) It is not known how the family came to believe that their child may be operated on immediately at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. What occurred was this. On arrival at Port Hedland Regional Hospital the senior medical officer who was on duty assessed the child and decided that, in his medical opinion, the child was able to wait without further harm until the morning for surgery. If the doctor had considered surgery to be needed urgently, he would have called in the surgeon immediately to review the patient and they would have arranged for emergency surgery at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. (3) Usually relatives of children coming to Port Hedland Regional Hospital are offered accommodation at the hospital’s hostel. It is there for that purpose. On that night a room was available but, in the short time available in getting this information together, it is not known whether it was offered to the family. (4) Tom Price residents have not lost basic services at their hospital due to any staffing restructuring. Tom Price District Hospital does not have an operating theatre, nor does it have a surgeon who could carry out this type of surgery.
(3) What does the minister say to the Cullinans, who could not find commercial accommodation in Port Hedland and had to impose on a friend in the early hours of the morning to get shelter for themselves and the injured boy before returning to the hospital? (4) Does the minister still maintain that Tom Price residents have not lost basic services at their hospital following the minister’s staffing restructure? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I thank the Leader of the National Party for some notice of this question because it has enabled me to obtain the following advice from the Department of Health. (1) The child, Joe Cullinan, was assessed and X-rayed at Tom Price District Hospital after having been seen by a locum general practitioner providing on-call services to the hospital. The doctor at Tom Price discussed the care and treatment options for the child with the local general surgeon at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. Due to the degree of severity of the fracture it was considered by the surgeon that the most appropriate treatment was surgical intervention. As Port Hedland Regional Hospital has the facilities to care for a child with this type of injury the child was sent to the Port Hedland Regional Hospital. The family was advised by the locum GP in Tom Price that the Royal Flying Doctor Service was not available that night for the transfer of their son. As there were no commercial flights available from Tom Price to Perth or any connection to Port Hedland until at least the next day, the family elected to drive their son to Port Hedland for specialist medical care. (2) It is not known how the family came to believe that their child may be operated on immediately at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. What occurred was this. On arrival at Port Hedland Regional Hospital the senior medical officer who was on duty assessed the child and decided that, in his medical opinion, the child was able to wait without further harm until the morning for surgery. If the doctor had considered surgery to be needed urgently, he would have called in the surgeon immediately to review the patient and they would have arranged for emergency surgery at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. (3) Usually relatives of children coming to Port Hedland Regional Hospital are offered accommodation at the hospital’s hostel. It is there for that purpose. On that night a room was available but, in the short time available in getting this information together, it is not known whether it was offered to the family. (4) Tom Price residents have not lost basic services at their hospital due to any staffing restructuring. Tom Price District Hospital does not have an operating theatre, nor does it have a surgeon who could carry out this type of surgery.
(4) Does the minister still maintain that Tom Price residents have not lost basic services at their hospital following the minister’s staffing restructure? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I thank the Leader of the National Party for some notice of this question because it has enabled me to obtain the following advice from the Department of Health. (1) The child, Joe Cullinan, was assessed and X-rayed at Tom Price District Hospital after having been seen by a locum general practitioner providing on-call services to the hospital. The doctor at Tom Price discussed the care and treatment options for the child with the local general surgeon at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. Due to the degree of severity of the fracture it was considered by the surgeon that the most appropriate treatment was surgical intervention. As Port Hedland Regional Hospital has the facilities to care for a child with this type of injury the child was sent to the Port Hedland Regional Hospital. The family was advised by the locum GP in Tom Price that the Royal Flying Doctor Service was not available that night for the transfer of their son. As there were no commercial flights available from Tom Price to Perth or any connection to Port Hedland until at least the next day, the family elected to drive their son to Port Hedland for specialist medical care. (2) It is not known how the family came to believe that their child may be operated on immediately at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. What occurred was this. On arrival at Port Hedland Regional Hospital the senior medical officer who was on duty assessed the child and decided that, in his medical opinion, the child was able to wait without further harm until the morning for surgery. If the doctor had considered surgery to be needed urgently, he would have called in the surgeon immediately to review the patient and they would have arranged for emergency surgery at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. (3) Usually relatives of children coming to Port Hedland Regional Hospital are offered accommodation at the hospital’s hostel. It is there for that purpose. On that night a room was available but, in the short time available in getting this information together, it is not known whether it was offered to the family. (4) Tom Price residents have not lost basic services at their hospital due to any staffing restructuring. Tom Price District Hospital does not have an operating theatre, nor does it have a surgeon who could carry out this type of surgery.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I thank the Leader of the National Party for some notice of this question because it has enabled me to obtain the following advice from the Department of Health. (1) The child, Joe Cullinan, was assessed and X-rayed at Tom Price District Hospital after having been seen by a locum general practitioner providing on-call services to the hospital. The doctor at Tom Price discussed the care and treatment options for the child with the local general surgeon at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. Due to the degree of severity of the fracture it was considered by the surgeon that the most appropriate treatment was surgical intervention. As Port Hedland Regional Hospital has the facilities to care for a child with this type of injury the child was sent to the Port Hedland Regional Hospital. The family was advised by the locum GP in Tom Price that the Royal Flying Doctor Service was not available that night for the transfer of their son. As there were no commercial flights available from Tom Price to Perth or any connection to Port Hedland until at least the next day, the family elected to drive their son to Port Hedland for specialist medical care. (2) It is not known how the family came to believe that their child may be operated on immediately at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. What occurred was this. On arrival at Port Hedland Regional Hospital the senior medical officer who was on duty assessed the child and decided that, in his medical opinion, the child was able to wait without further harm until the morning for surgery. If the doctor had considered surgery to be needed urgently, he would have called in the surgeon immediately to review the patient and they would have arranged for emergency surgery at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. (3) Usually relatives of children coming to Port Hedland Regional Hospital are offered accommodation at the hospital’s hostel. It is there for that purpose. On that night a room was available but, in the short time available in getting this information together, it is not known whether it was offered to the family. (4) Tom Price residents have not lost basic services at their hospital due to any staffing restructuring. Tom Price District Hospital does not have an operating theatre, nor does it have a surgeon who could carry out this type of surgery.
I thank the Leader of the National Party for some notice of this question because it has enabled me to obtain the following advice from the Department of Health. (1) The child, Joe Cullinan, was assessed and X-rayed at Tom Price District Hospital after having been seen by a locum general practitioner providing on-call services to the hospital. The doctor at Tom Price discussed the care and treatment options for the child with the local general surgeon at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. Due to the degree of severity of the fracture it was considered by the surgeon that the most appropriate treatment was surgical intervention. As Port Hedland Regional Hospital has the facilities to care for a child with this type of injury the child was sent to the Port Hedland Regional Hospital. The family was advised by the locum GP in Tom Price that the Royal Flying Doctor Service was not available that night for the transfer of their son. As there were no commercial flights available from Tom Price to Perth or any connection to Port Hedland until at least the next day, the family elected to drive their son to Port Hedland for specialist medical care. (2) It is not known how the family came to believe that their child may be operated on immediately at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. What occurred was this. On arrival at Port Hedland Regional Hospital the senior medical officer who was on duty assessed the child and decided that, in his medical opinion, the child was able to wait without further harm until the morning for surgery. If the doctor had considered surgery to be needed urgently, he would have called in the surgeon immediately to review the patient and they would have arranged for emergency surgery at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. (3) Usually relatives of children coming to Port Hedland Regional Hospital are offered accommodation at the hospital’s hostel. It is there for that purpose. On that night a room was available but, in the short time available in getting this information together, it is not known whether it was offered to the family. (4) Tom Price residents have not lost basic services at their hospital due to any staffing restructuring. Tom Price District Hospital does not have an operating theatre, nor does it have a surgeon who could carry out this type of surgery.
(1) The child, Joe Cullinan, was assessed and X-rayed at Tom Price District Hospital after having been seen by a locum general practitioner providing on-call services to the hospital. The doctor at Tom Price discussed the care and treatment options for the child with the local general surgeon at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. Due to the degree of severity of the fracture it was considered by the surgeon that the most appropriate treatment was surgical intervention. As Port Hedland Regional Hospital has the facilities to care for a child with this type of injury the child was sent to the Port Hedland Regional Hospital. The family was advised by the locum GP in Tom Price that the Royal Flying Doctor Service was not available that night for the transfer of their son. As there were no commercial flights available from Tom Price to Perth or any connection to Port Hedland until at least the next day, the family elected to drive their son to Port Hedland for specialist medical care. (2) It is not known how the family came to believe that their child may be operated on immediately at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. What occurred was this. On arrival at Port Hedland Regional Hospital the senior medical officer who was on duty assessed the child and decided that, in his medical opinion, the child was able to wait without further harm until the morning for surgery. If the doctor had considered surgery to be needed urgently, he would have called in the surgeon immediately to review the patient and they would have arranged for emergency surgery at Port Hedland Regional Hospital. (3) Usually relatives of children coming to Port Hedland Regional Hospital are offered accommodation at the hospital’s hostel. It is there for that purpose. On that night a room was available but, in the short time available in getting this information together, it is not known whether it was offered to the family. (4) Tom Price residents have not lost basic services at their hospital due to any staffing restructuring. Tom Price District Hospital does not have an operating theatre, nor does it have a surgeon who could carry out this type of surgery.
(3) Usually relatives of children coming to Port Hedland Regional Hospital are offered accommodation at the hospital’s hostel. It is there for that purpose. On that night a room was available but, in the short time available in getting this information together, it is not known whether it was offered to the family. (4) Tom Price residents have not lost basic services at their hospital due to any staffing restructuring. Tom Price District Hospital does not have an operating theatre, nor does it have a surgeon who could carry out this type of surgery.
(4) Tom Price residents have not lost basic services at their hospital due to any staffing restructuring. Tom Price District Hospital does not have an operating theatre, nor does it have a surgeon who could carry out this type of surgery.
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