WA COUNTRY HEALTH SERVICE
— MIDWIVES — PILBARA
1028. Hon
MARTIN ALDRIDGE to the minister representing the Minister for Health:
I refer to a WA Country Health
Service email from the chief operating officer and a subsequent email from the
coordinator of midwifery suggesting an imminent service failure due to the shortage
of midwives in the Pilbara.
(1) How many midwifery positions by
FTE in the WACHS Pilbara subregion are —
(a) vacant;
(b) filled, by
contract or temporary arrangements; and
(c) filled on a permanent
basis?
(2) In what other
regions and at what hospitals is WACHS concerned that it faces imminent service
failure?
Hon
STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1) (a) There are 2.6 FTE;
(b) 7.8 FTE; and
(c) 15.7 FTE.
(2) The WA
Country Health Service has experienced an increase in staffing shortages at a range
of sites since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. WACHS is employing a range
of strategies to address the shortages. To date, overnight service reduction
has been required for one Kimberley site, Wyndham.