HEALTH — 2021–22 STATE BUDGET —
REGIONS
512. Mrs R.M.J. CLARKE to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's significant investment in addressing the unprecedented
demand on our health system, including the $1.9 billion investment outlined in
the state budget. Can the minister outline to the house what this significant
investment will mean for those who rely on our health system, in particular
those in the regional and remote parts of our state?
Mr R.H.
COOK replied:
I thank the member for the question
and for her tireless advocacy for health services in her electorate. In this
budget, we have funded a significant number of projects, not all of which I will
be able to outline in the short time that I have available. As I said in my
last answer, the McGowan government is investing $1.9 billion in health and
mental health services throughout Western Australia. Regional communities,
member, will be an important part of that expenditure, making sure that we
continue to boost health services right across the state, particularly during
this time of unprecedented demand. We will be delivering more beds, more
doctors and more nurses, and improved services in country WA.
In addition to the hundreds of
millions of dollars to boost the capacity of health services around the state,
we will be delivering regional-specific initiatives. These include commitments
made in the 2021 election. There will be a $19.7 million increased investment
in the patient assisted travel scheme. This will not only allow patients to get
better accommodation support, with an increase in the nightly rate from $60 to
$100, but also expand the eligibility to
make sure that if patients who have to travel to the city for an operation or
any level of care need a support partner, that partner will also be
eligible for PATS.
In addition, we are investing $10.9 million
to enable the Royal Flying Doctor Service to refurbish and replace some of the
engines in its Pilatus PC-12 aircraft fleet. We are spending $15.7 million over
the forward estimates to begin construction
of a new consolidated health service at the existing Meekatharra Hospital site.
We are funding acute recovery teams in the wheatbelt and midwest to
support people in their recovery journey and to enable them to stay well in the community after a hospital
stay. We are investing $2.2 million to establish a women's community
health service, member, in the Peel region, which will offer health and support
services and information to those experiencing
mental illness, family and domestic violence or sexual violence, or who have
experienced sexual assault or childhood sexual abuse. We are investing
$4.2 million to fund the operating costs of a new adult public dental clinic at Narrogin Hospital, as well as $2.8 million
to expand women's community health services in the Kimberley,
which includes services for people experiencing mental illness, family and
domestic violence or sexual violence.
In addition, we will spend $8.6 million
to fund regional methamphetamine action plan initiatives, which includes the
expansion of community alcohol and other drug services in the Peel region, and
that will build on the McGowan government's comprehensive $473 million
methamphetamine action plan.
I could go on for some time, but I will
not. As members can see, we are investing heavily in health services right
across regional Western Australia as another demonstration of the McGowan
government putting patients first.