❓ Mr. Hughes asks about the McGowan government's efforts to grow the public health workforce and how they compare to the previous Liberal-National government. The Minister for Health details initiatives to recruit, train, and support health staff, contrasting them with workforce declines under the previous government.
AnsweredQoN 40Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HEALTH
— WORKFORCE
40. Mr M. HUGHES to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the McGowan Labor government's record
investment in Western Australia's public health system.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house on the measures taken by the McGowan government to
grow and strengthen Western Australia's public health workforce and the
impacts they have in our hospitals?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how this government's efforts to grow our
public health workforce compare with that of the former Liberal–National
government?
— WORKFORCE
40. Mr M. HUGHES to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the McGowan Labor government's record
investment in Western Australia's public health system.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house on the measures taken by the McGowan government to
grow and strengthen Western Australia's public health workforce and the
impacts they have in our hospitals?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how this government's efforts to grow our
public health workforce compare with that of the former Liberal–National
government?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the
member for Kalamunda for his question.
(1)–(2) Most of us in this chamber understand that
the workforce is the most important asset in the Western Australian health system. It is no secret that every health system around the world is
challenged when it comes to workforce and every public health system is
expanding and increasing its workforce significantly. This government has grown the health workforce with a 20
per cent increase in FTE since coming to government.
Since
2017, we have seen more than 3 300 new nurses, more than 1 200 new doctors and
more than 1 400 new allied health
workers added to our public health system. In WA, we are actively recruiting
skilled and experienced health staff to strengthen our workforce. The Belong
campaign, launched in October 2021, articulates the benefits and
opportunities of working throughout WA Health across our state. In addition, WA
Health will assist with the sponsorship for temporary and permanent visas for
experienced nurses and midwives applying for positions.
Contrary to the claim made by the
member for Cottesloe during the Premier's Statement debate earlier that
we kept health workers and 100 doctors out of this state during the pandemic,
the Chief Health Officer approved 700 travel exemptions for clinical staff
alone. But we need to grow our own staff, and that is why we will commence in
2023 a range of new initiatives to support and upskill the current workforce.
The first one is called Free in '23, which will help build WA's
nursing workforce, with the diploma of nursing qualification now 100 per cent
fee free in Western Australia. WA Health has also partnered with aged care,
which we know is experiencing critical workforce shortages. In recognition of
our partnership and how important it is to the entire health sector, our
GradConnect recruitment system, which normally recruits graduates to the public health system and some private hospital
operators, will provide GradConnect into aged-care facilities to help
support that important sector. This will be funded by WA Health. Eligible WA
nurses and midwives will be able to participate in a range of pathways to
refresh their clinical knowledge and importantly upskill.
There
are also a number of system-wide initiatives to support the health and
wellbeing of our staff, including the Stop the Violence campaign, the
code black emergency response system and free access to our employee assistance programs. Addressing a key
claim item in the Australian Nursing Federation agreement negotiations,
work has commenced on introducing nurse-to-patient ratios. We will also target
financial assistance to support nurses and midwives for scholarships, ongoing
education and upskilling, and we have recently authorised the fast-tracking of
a one-off $3 000 cost-of-living payment and a wage increase of three to 4.5 per
cent backdated to October last year on top of the five per cent superannuation
increase.
Supporting, upskilling and
strengthening our nursing workforce is one of our most important challenges in
the health system. Contrast this with the former government. Under the Colin
Barnett Liberal–National coalition,
Health FTE declined by 916 between 2014 and 2017. Over their eight years in
office, it increased by just 1.4 per cent per year.
member for Kalamunda for his question.
(1)–(2) Most of us in this chamber understand that
the workforce is the most important asset in the Western Australian health system. It is no secret that every health system around the world is
challenged when it comes to workforce and every public health system is
expanding and increasing its workforce significantly. This government has grown the health workforce with a 20
per cent increase in FTE since coming to government.
Since
2017, we have seen more than 3 300 new nurses, more than 1 200 new doctors and
more than 1 400 new allied health
workers added to our public health system. In WA, we are actively recruiting
skilled and experienced health staff to strengthen our workforce. The Belong
campaign, launched in October 2021, articulates the benefits and
opportunities of working throughout WA Health across our state. In addition, WA
Health will assist with the sponsorship for temporary and permanent visas for
experienced nurses and midwives applying for positions.
Contrary to the claim made by the
member for Cottesloe during the Premier's Statement debate earlier that
we kept health workers and 100 doctors out of this state during the pandemic,
the Chief Health Officer approved 700 travel exemptions for clinical staff
alone. But we need to grow our own staff, and that is why we will commence in
2023 a range of new initiatives to support and upskill the current workforce.
The first one is called Free in '23, which will help build WA's
nursing workforce, with the diploma of nursing qualification now 100 per cent
fee free in Western Australia. WA Health has also partnered with aged care,
which we know is experiencing critical workforce shortages. In recognition of
our partnership and how important it is to the entire health sector, our
GradConnect recruitment system, which normally recruits graduates to the public health system and some private hospital
operators, will provide GradConnect into aged-care facilities to help
support that important sector. This will be funded by WA Health. Eligible WA
nurses and midwives will be able to participate in a range of pathways to
refresh their clinical knowledge and importantly upskill.
There
are also a number of system-wide initiatives to support the health and
wellbeing of our staff, including the Stop the Violence campaign, the
code black emergency response system and free access to our employee assistance programs. Addressing a key
claim item in the Australian Nursing Federation agreement negotiations,
work has commenced on introducing nurse-to-patient ratios. We will also target
financial assistance to support nurses and midwives for scholarships, ongoing
education and upskilling, and we have recently authorised the fast-tracking of
a one-off $3 000 cost-of-living payment and a wage increase of three to 4.5 per
cent backdated to October last year on top of the five per cent superannuation
increase.
Supporting, upskilling and
strengthening our nursing workforce is one of our most important challenges in
the health system. Contrast this with the former government. Under the Colin
Barnett Liberal–National coalition,
Health FTE declined by 916 between 2014 and 2017. Over their eight years in
office, it increased by just 1.4 per cent per year.
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