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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 159 asked in the Legislative Council on 13 March 2019 by Hon Diane Evers

Parliament: 40 Session: 1

NURSING POSTS — BREMER BAY AND JERRAMUNGUP

159. Hon DIANE EVERS to the parliamentary secretary representing the Minister for Health:

I refer to the nursing posts in Bremer Bay and Jerramungup.

(1) What is the minimum number of nurses required at any one time at a regional nursing post?

(2) Are nursing or medical staff always available at the Bremer Bay and Jerramungup health centres during the hours as promoted; and, if not, why not?

(3) Are regional nurses required to provide relief to other regional health services when the posted nurse is on leave; and, if yes, who fills the same role in their community during their absence?

(4) Can additional nurses be provided at regional health services at times when a greater need for their services might be expected—for example, at Bremer Bay on New Year's Eve; and —

(a) if yes, what is the criteria used to determine the decision; and

(b) if not, why not?

(5) Will the minister please advise for the past two years —

(a) the number of interactions at the Bremer Bay and Jerramungup health centres;

(b) the number of St John Ambulance callouts to the Bremer Bay and Jerramungup areas; and

(c) the number of telehealth access calls from the Bremer Bay and Jerramungup areas?

Hon ALANNA CLOHESY replied:

I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. I have been advised the following.

(1) The minimum number of nursing staff is one.

(2) Yes. Nursing staff are rostered on both clinics during office hours with on-call after hours.

(3) The health service ensures that leave cover is provided when required. The health service manages the nursing leave relief across the region.

(4) Yes.

(a) Additional nurses are rostered on during known busy periods. Extra nursing staff are deployed when there is a recognised need and this occurs regularly during the busy tourist season.

(b) Not applicable.

(5) (a) I have been advised by the WA Country Health Service that further time is required to answer this question. The information will be provided to the member as soon as possible.

(b) This part has been answered by area and priority in the form of a table. I seek leave to have that part of the response incorporated into Hansard.

Leave granted.

The following material was incorporated —

(b) As advised by St John Ambulance WA, the number of call outs over the past two years for the Bremer Bay and Jerramungup areas was as follows:

Priority 1

Priority 2

Priority 3

Priority 4

Total

Bremer Bay

19

19

12

29

79

Jerramungup

36

11

12

49

108

*As at 28 February 2019

 

(c) I have been advised by the WA Country Health Service that further time is required to answer this question. The information will be provided to the member as soon as available.