❓ Mrs Munday questions the Minister for Health on the Cook Labor government's investment in supporting the health workforce. The Minister outlines investments in staffing, pay, infrastructure, and nurse-to-patient ratios, contrasting it with the Liberal Party's record.
⏳ Awaiting AnswerQoN 282Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Health workforce282.Mrs Lisa Mundayto
theMinister for Health:I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to ensuring Western Australians can access the
care they need when they need it.Can the minister
please outline to the house how the Cook Labor government is investing in
support for our health workforce?Ms Meredith Hammat replied:I thank the member
for her question and for her ongoing interest in the health of her community,
both as a paramedic and now as a member in this place. I will start by saying
how much we on this side of the house in Labor value each and every one of our healthcare
workers, particularly those in the public health system. To the nurses,
cleaners, orderlies, doctors, cooks, allied health workers and all the workers
who show up every day to support our community: we say thank you.As the member knows,
we are really proud of our record in supporting and growing our public health
workforce. Since 2021, we have added more than 5,000 nurses and 2,000 doctors
to deliver quality care in our community. We have also significantly improved
pay and conditions for workers since coming into government. We are building on
that foundation, particularly by backing our workforce in this year's state
budget, with a record $9.1 billion additional investment in our hospitals and
health services right across Western Australia.In this financial
year alone, we are investing $12.1 billion on health services so that Western
Australians can get the care they need. This means more doctors, nurses and
beds. We have 900 additional beds in the pipeline and that includes 120 beds
that will come online soon at both Joondalup Health Campus and St John of God
Midland Public Hospital. As we heard earlier today, we have invested $225
million to buy, commission and commence operations at St John of God Mt Lawley
Hospital, which will bring 118 beds into the public hospital system from
September.This budget also
includes additional resourcing for the continued rollout of nurse
midwife-to-patient ratios across our public hospitals. This is something that
the nurses union has long wanted and this government delivered that important
reform. We have worked closely with the nurses union to make sure we have a
phased approach to the implementation of those ratios, including pilot phases.
They were first introduced in 2023 in the Perth Children's Hospital emergency
department and in late 2024 they were trialled in medical and surgical areas in
the North Metropolitan Health Service. Since mid-2025, ratios were implemented
across major metropolitan medical and surgical wards. In February of this year,
we expanded those ratios into clinical care settings across metropolitanhospitals. We will continue working with staff, their
unions and health service providers to support the rollout ofthose ratios
across our system.Our government is
backing the WA health workforce, making sure that Western Australians get the
care they need when they need it, unlike those opposite—unlike members of the
Liberal Party, who only ever run down our healthcare workers.Several members
interjected.The Speaker:Members!Ms Meredith Hammat:They have no plan at all for what
they would do to address any of the issues that the workforce has raised. The
Liberal Party's record in government is one of privatisation—Several members
interjected.The Speaker:Members!Ms Meredith Hammat:—and cutting healthcare workers.Ms Libby Mettaminterjected.The Speaker:Member for Vasse, if you would like to
ask a question, please, at the next opportunity, do that. In the meantime, stop
interjecting.Ms Meredith Hammat:It has a record of cutting the
workforce when it could not manage the state's finances. There is only one
party with a plan and a track record of strengthening our health workforce and
public health care in WA, and that is this Labor government.
Health workforce
282.Mrs Lisa Mundayto
theMinister for Health:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to ensuring Western Australians can access the
care they need when they need it.
Can the minister
please outline to the house how the Cook Labor government is investing in
support for our health workforce?
Ms Meredith Hammat replied:
I thank the member
for her question and for her ongoing interest in the health of her community,
both as a paramedic and now as a member in this place. I will start by saying
how much we on this side of the house in Labor value each and every one of our healthcare
workers, particularly those in the public health system. To the nurses,
cleaners, orderlies, doctors, cooks, allied health workers and all the workers
who show up every day to support our community: we say thank you.
As the member knows,
we are really proud of our record in supporting and growing our public health
workforce. Since 2021, we have added more than 5,000 nurses and 2,000 doctors
to deliver quality care in our community. We have also significantly improved
pay and conditions for workers since coming into government. We are building on
that foundation, particularly by backing our workforce in this year's state
budget, with a record $9.1 billion additional investment in our hospitals and
health services right across Western Australia.
In this financial
year alone, we are investing $12.1 billion on health services so that Western
Australians can get the care they need. This means more doctors, nurses and
beds. We have 900 additional beds in the pipeline and that includes 120 beds
that will come online soon at both Joondalup Health Campus and St John of God
Midland Public Hospital. As we heard earlier today, we have invested $225
million to buy, commission and commence operations at St John of God Mt Lawley
Hospital, which will bring 118 beds into the public hospital system from
September.
This budget also
includes additional resourcing for the continued rollout of nurse
midwife-to-patient ratios across our public hospitals. This is something that
the nurses union has long wanted and this government delivered that important
reform. We have worked closely with the nurses union to make sure we have a
phased approach to the implementation of those ratios, including pilot phases.
They were first introduced in 2023 in the Perth Children's Hospital emergency
department and in late 2024 they were trialled in medical and surgical areas in
the North Metropolitan Health Service. Since mid-2025, ratios were implemented
across major metropolitan medical and surgical wards. In February of this year,
we expanded those ratios into clinical care settings across metropolitanhospitals. We will continue working with staff, their
unions and health service providers to support the rollout ofthose ratios
across our system.
Our government is
backing the WA health workforce, making sure that Western Australians get the
care they need when they need it, unlike those opposite—unlike members of the
Liberal Party, who only ever run down our healthcare workers.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker:Members!
Ms Meredith Hammat:They have no plan at all for what
they would do to address any of the issues that the workforce has raised. The
Liberal Party's record in government is one of privatisation—
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker:Members!
Ms Meredith Hammat:—and cutting healthcare workers.
Ms Libby Mettaminterjected.
The Speaker:Member for Vasse, if you would like to
ask a question, please, at the next opportunity, do that. In the meantime, stop
interjecting.
Ms Meredith Hammat:It has a record of cutting the
workforce when it could not manage the state's finances. There is only one
party with a plan and a track record of strengthening our health workforce and
public health care in WA, and that is this Labor government.
theMinister for Health:I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to ensuring Western Australians can access the
care they need when they need it.Can the minister
please outline to the house how the Cook Labor government is investing in
support for our health workforce?Ms Meredith Hammat replied:I thank the member
for her question and for her ongoing interest in the health of her community,
both as a paramedic and now as a member in this place. I will start by saying
how much we on this side of the house in Labor value each and every one of our healthcare
workers, particularly those in the public health system. To the nurses,
cleaners, orderlies, doctors, cooks, allied health workers and all the workers
who show up every day to support our community: we say thank you.As the member knows,
we are really proud of our record in supporting and growing our public health
workforce. Since 2021, we have added more than 5,000 nurses and 2,000 doctors
to deliver quality care in our community. We have also significantly improved
pay and conditions for workers since coming into government. We are building on
that foundation, particularly by backing our workforce in this year's state
budget, with a record $9.1 billion additional investment in our hospitals and
health services right across Western Australia.In this financial
year alone, we are investing $12.1 billion on health services so that Western
Australians can get the care they need. This means more doctors, nurses and
beds. We have 900 additional beds in the pipeline and that includes 120 beds
that will come online soon at both Joondalup Health Campus and St John of God
Midland Public Hospital. As we heard earlier today, we have invested $225
million to buy, commission and commence operations at St John of God Mt Lawley
Hospital, which will bring 118 beds into the public hospital system from
September.This budget also
includes additional resourcing for the continued rollout of nurse
midwife-to-patient ratios across our public hospitals. This is something that
the nurses union has long wanted and this government delivered that important
reform. We have worked closely with the nurses union to make sure we have a
phased approach to the implementation of those ratios, including pilot phases.
They were first introduced in 2023 in the Perth Children's Hospital emergency
department and in late 2024 they were trialled in medical and surgical areas in
the North Metropolitan Health Service. Since mid-2025, ratios were implemented
across major metropolitan medical and surgical wards. In February of this year,
we expanded those ratios into clinical care settings across metropolitanhospitals. We will continue working with staff, their
unions and health service providers to support the rollout ofthose ratios
across our system.Our government is
backing the WA health workforce, making sure that Western Australians get the
care they need when they need it, unlike those opposite—unlike members of the
Liberal Party, who only ever run down our healthcare workers.Several members
interjected.The Speaker:Members!Ms Meredith Hammat:They have no plan at all for what
they would do to address any of the issues that the workforce has raised. The
Liberal Party's record in government is one of privatisation—Several members
interjected.The Speaker:Members!Ms Meredith Hammat:—and cutting healthcare workers.Ms Libby Mettaminterjected.The Speaker:Member for Vasse, if you would like to
ask a question, please, at the next opportunity, do that. In the meantime, stop
interjecting.Ms Meredith Hammat:It has a record of cutting the
workforce when it could not manage the state's finances. There is only one
party with a plan and a track record of strengthening our health workforce and
public health care in WA, and that is this Labor government.
Health workforce
282.Mrs Lisa Mundayto
theMinister for Health:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to ensuring Western Australians can access the
care they need when they need it.
Can the minister
please outline to the house how the Cook Labor government is investing in
support for our health workforce?
Ms Meredith Hammat replied:
I thank the member
for her question and for her ongoing interest in the health of her community,
both as a paramedic and now as a member in this place. I will start by saying
how much we on this side of the house in Labor value each and every one of our healthcare
workers, particularly those in the public health system. To the nurses,
cleaners, orderlies, doctors, cooks, allied health workers and all the workers
who show up every day to support our community: we say thank you.
As the member knows,
we are really proud of our record in supporting and growing our public health
workforce. Since 2021, we have added more than 5,000 nurses and 2,000 doctors
to deliver quality care in our community. We have also significantly improved
pay and conditions for workers since coming into government. We are building on
that foundation, particularly by backing our workforce in this year's state
budget, with a record $9.1 billion additional investment in our hospitals and
health services right across Western Australia.
In this financial
year alone, we are investing $12.1 billion on health services so that Western
Australians can get the care they need. This means more doctors, nurses and
beds. We have 900 additional beds in the pipeline and that includes 120 beds
that will come online soon at both Joondalup Health Campus and St John of God
Midland Public Hospital. As we heard earlier today, we have invested $225
million to buy, commission and commence operations at St John of God Mt Lawley
Hospital, which will bring 118 beds into the public hospital system from
September.
This budget also
includes additional resourcing for the continued rollout of nurse
midwife-to-patient ratios across our public hospitals. This is something that
the nurses union has long wanted and this government delivered that important
reform. We have worked closely with the nurses union to make sure we have a
phased approach to the implementation of those ratios, including pilot phases.
They were first introduced in 2023 in the Perth Children's Hospital emergency
department and in late 2024 they were trialled in medical and surgical areas in
the North Metropolitan Health Service. Since mid-2025, ratios were implemented
across major metropolitan medical and surgical wards. In February of this year,
we expanded those ratios into clinical care settings across metropolitanhospitals. We will continue working with staff, their
unions and health service providers to support the rollout ofthose ratios
across our system.
Our government is
backing the WA health workforce, making sure that Western Australians get the
care they need when they need it, unlike those opposite—unlike members of the
Liberal Party, who only ever run down our healthcare workers.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker:Members!
Ms Meredith Hammat:They have no plan at all for what
they would do to address any of the issues that the workforce has raised. The
Liberal Party's record in government is one of privatisation—
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker:Members!
Ms Meredith Hammat:—and cutting healthcare workers.
Ms Libby Mettaminterjected.
The Speaker:Member for Vasse, if you would like to
ask a question, please, at the next opportunity, do that. In the meantime, stop
interjecting.
Ms Meredith Hammat:It has a record of cutting the
workforce when it could not manage the state's finances. There is only one
party with a plan and a track record of strengthening our health workforce and
public health care in WA, and that is this Labor government.
AnswerView source ↗
⏳
This question is awaiting a response from the Minister.
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