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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 1028 asked in the Legislative Council on 30 October 2018 by Hon Robin Chapple

Parliament: 40 Session: 1

SNAKEBITES — ANTIVENOM

1028. Hon ROBIN CHAPPLE to the parliamentary secretary representing the Minister for Health:

This question is similar to some other questions asked today. I refer to the availability of antivenin in regional Western Australia.

(1) Do all Western Australian regional hospitals hold antivenin?

(2) If no to (1), why not?

(3) Given the likelihood of being bitten by a snake is higher in regional WA, what will the minister do to rectify this situation?

(4) Given the recent incident in Kalgoorlie in which a person who was bitten by a king brown snake was not able to receive antivenom for six hours and who now has a very long road to recovery, does the minister feel the issue should be resolved as a matter or priority?

Hon ALANNA CLOHESY replied:

I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.

(1) No. Currently 69 of the 81 WA Country Health Service facilities have antivenom. I have incorporated those into Hansard previously.

(2) There are 12 small facilities that have not fully transitioned to stocking antivenom.

(3)–(4) The incident occurred at Forrestania, south of Southern Cross. WACHS has been reviewing its guidelines since July 2018, following changes in the management of snake envenomation at a national level and the availability of specialist medical support through the Emergency Telehealth Service, which has enabled more comprehensive assessment of suspected snakebite patients in country health services. The Minister for Health has requested that WACHS fast-track the completion of the review and subsequent implementation. WACHS is progressively expanding antivenom stock across 81 sites to ensure the availability and use of antivenom in patients who present with symptoms of snakebite envenomation. Snake envenomation is complex and not all manifestations of envenomation are able to be treated with antivenom. Antivenom administration is not without risks, including variable rates of anaphylaxis, up to 40 per cent for some antivenoms. WACHS supports the minimum stock levels defined by the Western Australian Therapeutic Advisory Group critical medicine list for antivenom. However, it has been determined that an expanded availability of antivenoms can be supported.