❓ A parliamentary question highlights understaffing of psychiatrists in WA Country Health Service (WACHS) and seeks information on reasons, financial implications, waiting times, and strategies to address the issue. The answer acknowledges recruitment challenges and outlines strategies to mitigate the impact of vacancies.
AnsweredQoN 3849Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to tabled paper No. 3230, where it shows that as at February 2011 psychiatrists within the WA Country Health Service were understaffed by 29 percent, and ask -
(1) Why has the WA Country Health Service been operating under its requirement for full staffing?
(2) For how long has the WA Country Health Service been operating under its requirement for full staffing?
(3) How much money has been saved as a result of the WA Country Health Service operating under its requirement for full staffing?
(4) What is the average waiting time for a consumer in the WA Country Health Service to see a psychiatrist?
(5) How much money has been saved as a result of the positions not being filled?
(6) What strategies has the Minister put in place to ensure these positions are filled?
(1) Why has the WA Country Health Service been operating under its requirement for full staffing?
(2) For how long has the WA Country Health Service been operating under its requirement for full staffing?
(3) How much money has been saved as a result of the WA Country Health Service operating under its requirement for full staffing?
(4) What is the average waiting time for a consumer in the WA Country Health Service to see a psychiatrist?
(5) How much money has been saved as a result of the positions not being filled?
(6) What strategies has the Minister put in place to ensure these positions are filled?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
28 June 2011
Responded by
Minister for Mental Health
Response time
42 days
(1-2) Historically recruitment and retention of staff, especially in some of our more remote regions remains an issue due to many factors including life style change and professional isolation. WACHS strives to meet the funded targets to attain full staffing establishment.
(3) Unused allocated funding due to the vacancy factor is directed toward flexible ways of trying to ensure service continuity; for example, through the use of fly-in-fly-out staff and short term locum contracts.
(4) All consumers are triaged via a multi disciplinary team based at community mental health services. Urgent cases needing psychiatric assessment are given priority.
(5) All allocated funding is directed to other staffing options where vacancies exist.
(6) Managing staffing vacancies is an ongoing priority. WACHS mental health service units will continue to strive to fill any gaps and look to fill all vacancies through all available mechanisms. Creative and flexible recruitment strategies are always considered to meet the demand. WACHS mental health service units take every opportunity to recruit to the medical workforce including advertising vacancies overseas. Recruitment strategies include the use of available job vacancies websites, college online websites and targeted marketing campaigns.
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(3) Unused allocated funding due to the vacancy factor is directed toward flexible ways of trying to ensure service continuity; for example, through the use of fly-in-fly-out staff and short term locum contracts.
(4) All consumers are triaged via a multi disciplinary team based at community mental health services. Urgent cases needing psychiatric assessment are given priority.
(5) All allocated funding is directed to other staffing options where vacancies exist.
(6) Managing staffing vacancies is an ongoing priority. WACHS mental health service units will continue to strive to fill any gaps and look to fill all vacancies through all available mechanisms. Creative and flexible recruitment strategies are always considered to meet the demand. WACHS mental health service units take every opportunity to recruit to the medical workforce including advertising vacancies overseas. Recruitment strategies include the use of available job vacancies websites, college online websites and targeted marketing campaigns.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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