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Parliamentary Questions


Question On Notice No. 2463 asked in the Legislative Council on 17 September 2019 by Hon Jacqui Boydell

Question Directed to the: Parliamentary Secretary representing the Minister for Health
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
Tabled Paper No: 3361- View tabled paper


Question

In relation to the following hospitals/health campuses, Broome, Derby, Wyndham, Kununnarra, Halls Creek, Tom Price, Paraburdoo, Newman, Pannawonica, Onslow, Laverton, Wiluna, Leonora and Kalgoorlie, I ask:
(a) will the Minister table the FTE staffing levels with respect to doctors, nurses, orderlies, allied health staff and cleaning staff, required to safely run each hospital/health campus;
(b) will the Minister table any current vacancies at each hospital/health campus;
(c) will the Minister table the overtime shifts worked by doctors and nurses at each of the campuses in the last six months;
(d) have there been any formal complaints from staff, both permanent and locum, regarding workload in the last six months:
(i) if yes to (d), how many and what action was taken as a result; and
(e) does the WA Country Health Service a fatigue management policy for all staff:
(i) if yes to (e), will the Minister please table it?

Answered on 31 October 2019

I am advised:

 

(a) No. Safe staffing levels are determined by many factors that contribute to the provision of a safe working environment and high quality patient care.

 

(b) Yes. FTE Vacancies for salaried positions as at 23 September 2019 are provided below. It should be noted that service provision is assured through other employment mechanisms where positions are not substantively filled and recruitment is being progressed.

 

Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Vacancy

Medical

Nursing

Orderlies

Allied Health

Cleaning

Broome

9.20

7.11

0.00

1.00

0.00

Derby

4.00

7.84

1.00

1.00

0.00

Wyndham

0.00

2.00

1.00

0.00

0.00

Kununurra

7.40

4.20

0.00

2.00

0.00

Halls Creek

0.00

1.13

0.00

0.00

0.00

Tom Price

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

Paraburdoo

0.00

0.00

0.50

0.00

0.00

Newman

0.00

0.58

0.20

0.00

0.00

Pannawonica*

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Onslow

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

Laverton

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

Leonora

0.00

1.80

0.00

0.00

0.64

Kalgoorlie

18.90

4.00

0.00

2.00

0.00

Wiluna*

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

 

*No hospital or health service operated by the WA Country Health Service.

(c) Yes. Overtime shifts for the purposes of this question have been determined to be all instances when hours were worked above contracted hours.

Location

Medical Overtime:

Number of Shifts

Nursing Overtime: Number of Shifts

Laverton, Leonora and Kalgoorlie

40

1751

Broome, Derby, Wyndham, Kununurra and Halls Creek

30

249

Wiluna*

N/A

N/A

Tom Price, Paraburdoo, Newman, Pannawonica*, Onslow

0

91

 

(d) No.

(i) Not applicable.

(e) Yes. Fatigue management for medical staff is as prescribed by the WA Health System Medical Practitioners AMA Industrial Agreement 2016 under Section 15 (Hours of Duty). The WA Country Health Service Working in Isolation policy provides for orientation of relevant staff including processes for reporting and managing fatigue.

(i) Yes. See tabled paper no.