❓ Mr. Hatton asks the Minister for Health to update the house on health sector achievements since 2008, highlighting increased budget investment. The Minister details expenditure increases, infrastructure projects, telehealth advancements, and efforts towards financial sustainability.
AnsweredQoN 940Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HEALTH SECTOR INVESTMENT
940. Mr C.D. HATTON to the Minister for
Health:
The Liberal–National government has an unmatched record in the
health portfolio, having increased the state budget —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Mandurah, member for Cockburn, for the first time.
Mr
C.D. HATTON : I will start again.
Minister, the Liberal–National government has an outstanding and very
good unmatched record in the health portfolio, having increased the state budget
investment in this area by close to 80 per cent since 2008. Can the minister
please update the house on recent achievements made in the health sector in
this time?
940. Mr C.D. HATTON to the Minister for
Health:
The Liberal–National government has an unmatched record in the
health portfolio, having increased the state budget —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Mandurah, member for Cockburn, for the first time.
Mr
C.D. HATTON : I will start again.
Minister, the Liberal–National government has an outstanding and very
good unmatched record in the health portfolio, having increased the state budget
investment in this area by close to 80 per cent since 2008. Can the minister
please update the house on recent achievements made in the health sector in
this time?
AnswerView source ↗
Indeed, the health system in Western Australia is one of the many areas
of responsibility for which this government has a very strong and enviable
record.
Ms
S.F. McGurk interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Fremantle, I call you to order for the first time.
Ms
S.F. McGurk interjected.
The SPEAKER : Second time. Thank you.
Mr J.H.D. DAY : There has been a very substantial
transformation of the public hospital and health system right across Western Australia
in the eight years that we have been in government—it will be eight and
a half years at the time of the election in March. For example, as the member
indicated, there has been an almost doubling of recurrent expenditure, up from
$4.8 billion to $8.6 billion a year, and there has been a $7 billion investment
in rebuilding the hospital and health system. Those rebuilding projects range
from the very large well‑known projects in the metropolitan area,
including Fiona Stanley Hospital, Perth Children's Hospital and Midland
Public Hospital, to many other locations in large and small centres in regional
parts of Western Australia, including Albany, Esperance, Kalgoorlie, Carnarvon,
Hedland, Karratha and Busselton, and many others, as well in smaller locations.
For example, there have also been improvements to remote health facilities such
as Indigenous health clinic upgrades, which are very important for remote
Indigenous communities. There has been some significant funding from the
government's royalties for regions program to expand regional health
services, including enabling and expanding the emergency telehealth service, for
example, which is now available in over 70 hospitals, health centres and
nursing posts right around Western Australia; and there are innovative new
services, including the telestroke service, which is providing care,
coordination and outcomes for country patients. In the last financial year,
2015–16, there were almost 33 500 occasions of clinical services
delivered by telehealth across regional WA. I am pleased to advise that in a recent
patient survey, 98 per cent of respondents indicated that they were satisfied
with the telehealth service and 79 per cent were very satisfied. In order to
provide support for regional patients who need to attend specialist
appointments in person, since 2008–09 the government has also
facilitated a 77 per cent increase in trips provided under the patient assisted
travel scheme. Although there has been a substantial increase in expenditure,
there has also been a significant focus on ensuring we have a financially
sustainable health system. In the current financial year, the increase in
expenditure is expected to be slightly less than five per cent, at about 4.8 per
cent. A lot of effort has been put in to try to ensure we have an affordable
and sustainable system from within our state's finances, given the
enormous pressure, for reasons that are completely beyond the government's
control and that everybody is well aware of. That has been partly achieved
through the 1.5 per cent pay increases that have been agreed to across the
health sector and in other areas of government responsibility this year.
The SPEAKER : Minister, 30 seconds!
Mr J.H.D. DAY : In 2016–17, our recurrent budget
allows hospitals to provide for over one million emergency department patients,
with 600 000 admitted to hospital, 2.5 million patients who have outpatient
appointments and 80 000 having elective surgery. I make reference to one
particular project that was given recognition at the WA Health Excellence
Awards a couple of weeks ago.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : That is enough. Member for Willagee, I call you to order for the
first time. Minister, you have now got 15 seconds.
Mr J.H.D. DAY : The people involved in the WA trachoma
project need appropriate recognition for their work in the Hansard of the Western Australian Parliament. They received the
director general's award for their efforts in reducing the incidence of
trachoma in Aboriginal communities from 24 per cent —
Mr
B.S. Wyatt interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Victoria Park, I call you to order for the third time.
Mr J.H.D. DAY : The WA trachoma project has reduced the
incidence of the eye infection trachoma from 24 per cent down 2.6 per cent over
the last 10 years, and the program is expected to eliminate completely the very
serious eye infection in Western Australian Aboriginal communities by 2020.
That is just one example of the work that is occurring in our health system. I could
give many other examples, but I commend all those involved in the WA trachoma
project as part of the Western Australian health system.
of responsibility for which this government has a very strong and enviable
record.
Ms
S.F. McGurk interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Fremantle, I call you to order for the first time.
Ms
S.F. McGurk interjected.
The SPEAKER : Second time. Thank you.
Mr J.H.D. DAY : There has been a very substantial
transformation of the public hospital and health system right across Western Australia
in the eight years that we have been in government—it will be eight and
a half years at the time of the election in March. For example, as the member
indicated, there has been an almost doubling of recurrent expenditure, up from
$4.8 billion to $8.6 billion a year, and there has been a $7 billion investment
in rebuilding the hospital and health system. Those rebuilding projects range
from the very large well‑known projects in the metropolitan area,
including Fiona Stanley Hospital, Perth Children's Hospital and Midland
Public Hospital, to many other locations in large and small centres in regional
parts of Western Australia, including Albany, Esperance, Kalgoorlie, Carnarvon,
Hedland, Karratha and Busselton, and many others, as well in smaller locations.
For example, there have also been improvements to remote health facilities such
as Indigenous health clinic upgrades, which are very important for remote
Indigenous communities. There has been some significant funding from the
government's royalties for regions program to expand regional health
services, including enabling and expanding the emergency telehealth service, for
example, which is now available in over 70 hospitals, health centres and
nursing posts right around Western Australia; and there are innovative new
services, including the telestroke service, which is providing care,
coordination and outcomes for country patients. In the last financial year,
2015–16, there were almost 33 500 occasions of clinical services
delivered by telehealth across regional WA. I am pleased to advise that in a recent
patient survey, 98 per cent of respondents indicated that they were satisfied
with the telehealth service and 79 per cent were very satisfied. In order to
provide support for regional patients who need to attend specialist
appointments in person, since 2008–09 the government has also
facilitated a 77 per cent increase in trips provided under the patient assisted
travel scheme. Although there has been a substantial increase in expenditure,
there has also been a significant focus on ensuring we have a financially
sustainable health system. In the current financial year, the increase in
expenditure is expected to be slightly less than five per cent, at about 4.8 per
cent. A lot of effort has been put in to try to ensure we have an affordable
and sustainable system from within our state's finances, given the
enormous pressure, for reasons that are completely beyond the government's
control and that everybody is well aware of. That has been partly achieved
through the 1.5 per cent pay increases that have been agreed to across the
health sector and in other areas of government responsibility this year.
The SPEAKER : Minister, 30 seconds!
Mr J.H.D. DAY : In 2016–17, our recurrent budget
allows hospitals to provide for over one million emergency department patients,
with 600 000 admitted to hospital, 2.5 million patients who have outpatient
appointments and 80 000 having elective surgery. I make reference to one
particular project that was given recognition at the WA Health Excellence
Awards a couple of weeks ago.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : That is enough. Member for Willagee, I call you to order for the
first time. Minister, you have now got 15 seconds.
Mr J.H.D. DAY : The people involved in the WA trachoma
project need appropriate recognition for their work in the Hansard of the Western Australian Parliament. They received the
director general's award for their efforts in reducing the incidence of
trachoma in Aboriginal communities from 24 per cent —
Mr
B.S. Wyatt interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Victoria Park, I call you to order for the third time.
Mr J.H.D. DAY : The WA trachoma project has reduced the
incidence of the eye infection trachoma from 24 per cent down 2.6 per cent over
the last 10 years, and the program is expected to eliminate completely the very
serious eye infection in Western Australian Aboriginal communities by 2020.
That is just one example of the work that is occurring in our health system. I could
give many other examples, but I commend all those involved in the WA trachoma
project as part of the Western Australian health system.
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