SUSTAINABLE
HEALTH REVIEW
285. Ms L. METTAM to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the Minister for Health's
recent announcement of yet another ministerial panel. Given the government
already has the sustainable health review, which made a claim it would drive a cultural
shift from a predominantly reactive, acute, hospital-based system to one with a
strong focus on prevention and seamless access to services to alleviate
pressure on emergency departments, why has the minister announced yet another
task force when she already has a report that spells out quite clearly what the
health system needs?
Ms A.
SANDERSON replied:
The
sustainable health review is an important piece of work that maps out 10 years'
worth of reform within the health system, and the government is absolutely
committed to implementing the recommendations. It is a really good body of
work and I commend all those who participated in the review and continue to
participate in its implementation. Implementation
of the review is resourced and it is prioritised throughout the Department of
Health, but it is broadly across the entire health system. The span of
work is broad and significant. It is 10 years of reform.
It is clear that the opposition
spokesperson for health did not read any details around the emergency
department package, because it was clear in the announcement that it is about
short-term and long-term solutions. It is about immediate need and long-term
reform. That is what the emergency department package is. This government is
focused on investing in our health system and working on solutions. That is our
focus, and that is the focus of this budget. It is about investment and
solutions to some of the issues challenging not just Western Australia's
health system, but also health systems across the world. That is our focus,
unlike the opposition that does not have a single idea or a single constructive
thing to say about how our health system works or needs to work. The opposition
is all about jumping the gun, making assumptions, getting a media grab. All we
get from the opposition is some kind of grab over substance, with no focus on
solutions at all. That is my focus as minister.