Question On Notice No. 3225 asked in the Legislative Council on 17 September 2020 by Hon Martin Aldridge
Question Directed to the: Parliamentary Secretary representing the Minister for Health
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
Question
I refer to question without notice 815, answered on 13 September 2018, in relation to the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme (PATS), and I ask:
(a) what is the status of recommendations 1 to 5, 8, 10 and 13 to 18, noting that the Government claims to have addressed the other recommendations;
(b) when was the fuel and accommodation subsidy last reviewed by the Government and please table the review or advice received;
(c) what was the actual cost of PATS in 2019-20 and projected costs in 2020-21; and
(d) Have, or will, the Minister seek additional funding to further enhance PATS in the near term?
Answered on 21 October 2020
I am advised:
(a) Recommendations 1-5, 8, 10, and 13 to 15 continue to inform improvements to the PATS scheme administered by the WA Country Health Service (WACHS). Recommendation 17 was addressed in July 2019 and Recommendation 18 is currently being implemented. Recommendation 13, 14 and 16 were not supported by the previous Government when the report was tabled in 2015.
(b) The PATS fuel and accommodation subsidy was reviewed by the Standing Committee on public Administration (SCPA) in June 2015. The report was tabled on 16 June 2015 and the then State Government’s response was provided on 17 August 2015 and is publicly available.
(c) The full year spend on PATS subsidies and administration costs for 2019/20 was $35,518,542. Planned 2020/21 PATS budget allocation for PATS subsidies and administration is $37,887,005.
(d) Yes.