Hospitals—Elective surgery, code yellows, ramping and aged-care beds
359. Mr Basil Zempilasto theMinister for Health:
I, too, on behalf of everybody on this side wish the Premier and the Attorney General a very happy birthday.
Several members interjected.
Mr Basil Zempilas: Sorry? There was some extraneous noise.
The Speaker: Carry on, Leader of the Opposition.
Mr Basil Zempilas: Thank you, Mr Speaker.
I note that in the last 24 hours there has been a cancellation of category 2 and category 3 elective surgeries, six hospitals were in code yellow, there were over 400 hours of ambulance ramping last night and there is a record number of hospital patients awaiting aged-care beds.
(1) Will the minister now admit that her plan is not working?
(2) What additional measures to combat this crisis has the Department of Health requested, which the minister's government has not supported?
(3) Will the minister now reconsider those requests?
Ms Meredith Hammat replied:
(1)–(3) I thank the member for the question. We are dealing with extraordinary levels of demand in our health system this week, as the member identified in the preface to that question. I want to begin by acknowledging that the decision to reschedule some surgeries will inconvenience people. We regret that, obviously, and I empathise with people who find themselves in that situation. I know it is frustrating, but we are responding this week to unprecedented demand in our health system. On Monday evening we had more than 1,000 calls to 000, including one of the highest number of priority 1 calls we have ever had in this state. We have been able to see, in terms of the numbers of people coming to emergency departments, the impact that that has had. But as the member also identifies in his preface to the question, we have had large numbers of older Western Australians in hospital who are well enough to be discharged but are not able to be discharged because there is not appropriate care for them. More than 320 people are now in that category in our health system, which underlines the issues I have been talking about in this place for some time—the increased demand and the increased complexity, but the challenges of finding appropriate care for older Western Australians.
It has been a very busy week, which is why the department has today proactively rescheduled a number of surgeries so that we can ensure the system is responding to meet the most urgent demand. That is the way our health system works: where we have urgent demand, we need to prioritise that, and that is what we are doing. I want to reiterate the frustrations I know that people will feel as a consequence of that, but this is the system working to ensure that those people who need the most urgent care are able to receive that care.
All states around Australia have been coping with unprecedented demand this winter, and other states have made similar decisions in response to meeting—
Several members interjected.
Ms Meredith Hammat: Other states have responded similarly because this is how health systems respond when there are demands on the system. That is what our system is doing and I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge all those people working in the Department of Health, all those people working in health service providers, particularly those frontline staff, for the work that they are doing as we move through one of the busiest and most difficult winter seasons on record.
360. Mr Basil Zempilasto theMinister for Health:
I have a supplementary question. Will elective surgeries be cancelled tomorrow?
Ms Meredith Hammat replied:
The health department will continue to monitor the situation very closely. We will monitor the system closely to make sure that we have the capacity to treat patients with the most urgent needs first. That is how the system works. It is a really important part of making sure that we are able to flex up to meet additional demand when and as it is required. The department is monitoring the situation closely and will make decisions as and when it needs to.
Several members interjected.
The Speaker: Members, the minister is responding to the question.
Ms Meredith Hammat: It will make those decisions in accordance with the demands that are on our system at any one time. I want to assure the house that this is a normal part of how the health system needs to respond when it is under increased demand—
Several members interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Ms Meredith Hammat: —like it did in 2009 when the Liberals and Nationals were in power and Royal Perth Hospital cancelled all elective surgeries until further notice.
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition!
Ms Meredith Hammat: I am saying that this is what happens in a health system that is responding to the demands. It also happened in 2011 when one in 10 elective surgeries—
Ms Sandra Brewer interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Cottesloe!
Ms Meredith Hammat: —were cancelled every day due to a lack of beds or staff or operating theatres. In 2014, more than 6,000 elective surgeries were cancelled at the last minute due to pressure in hospitals.
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition, you have already asked the question and you have asked your supplementary. If you have another question, get up and ask it when the opportunity comes around.
Ms Meredith Hammat: There are examples of the system responding to demand as it needs to, to ensure we treat people with the most urgent needs first. That is what the system is doing. The Department of Health is monitoring the situation very closely. We do not want to have to cancel elective surgery, but if we need to, to meet the demands on the system, we will have to reschedule so that we have capacity today when we need it.
