ORTHOTICS —
BUNBURY AND BUSSELTON
517. Hon Dr STEVE THOMAS to the minister representing the
Minister for Health:
I refer to the provision of
orthotics including spinal braces in Bunbury Hospital and Busselton Health
Campus in the south west.
(1) Who is currently providing these
services?
(2) Is the provision of these
services currently a trial; and, if so, when will that trial end?
(3) What training
did the people currently providing this service receive, and who provided that
training?
(4) If the
provision of these services has changed in the last year, why was it changed,
and what cost saving, if any, has been realised?
Hon
STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
I thank the Leader of the Opposition
for some notice of the question.
(1) The Bunbury
Hospital physiotherapist department is currently trialling the provision of
these services in Bunbury. In Busselton, these services are provided by Seaview
Pty Ltd.
(2) This is a trial at Bunbury
Hospital and will be evaluated at the end of September 2021.
(3) For the trial service at Bunbury Hospital, people
currently providing this service received training in the fitting of braces by
orthotists from brace suppliers Ossur Australia and OAPL—Orthopaedic
Appliances Pty Ltd.
(4) The trial service change at Bunbury Hospital has
enabled delivery of a comprehensive service in conjunction with the
physiotherapy program; service continuity, as it is available to patients seven
days a week; and patients not being required to travel to Perth during periods
of service provider unavailability. Initial estimates indicate a cost saving of
approximately $15 000 over three months.