Cook Government reveals plan to deal with winter health system surge finalised three days before winter

A plan to deal with this year’s winter surge — which has been blamed for causing havoc on the State’s hospital system — was only finalised three days before winter started, it has been revealed. During Budget Estimates on Wednesday, Upper House Leader Stephen Dawson confirmed the winter surge plan was only released to health service providers on May 29. Health bosses have blamed a bad flu season this year and an ageing population for record ambulance ramping hours last month, with the problem continuing to spiral out of control this month. The Cook Government has also been unable to say how much funding was requested by each health service provider, to fulfil the winter surge plan. Pressed by Liberal MP Steve Martin on how much funding was provided, Mr Dawson deferred to WA Health Director-General Shirley Bowen. “It’s a range of initiatives. For example, included our hospital in the home initiative where we intended to expand the number of patients in that initiative,” she said. “In terms of funding, it’s covered under the ABF (activity based funding) arrangements, so it is per case study or per case. “We initiated a new flu pathway, where we could rapidly test patients and thereby reduce the time they spend in the emergency department waiting for a test results. And that did require some small capital funding.” The Health Department later insisted planning had begun last November. “The document referred to in estimates is intended to formally outline the strategic priorities, initiatives, and outcomes, from a whole-of-system perspective,” a WA Health spokesman said. “However the operational strategies to address winter demand were operationalised well in advance of Winter.” The Opposition’s questions about how much funding was requested by each hospital were taken on notice, to be answered later. “I wouldn’t have that level of detail with me in the file today, I’m sure it is available,” Mr Dawson said. Earlier on Wednesday, Health Minister Meredith Hammat said surgery schedules were returning to normal after dozens of category two and three operations were cancelled last week to free up beds to cope with winter demand. But she couldn’t rule out more delays in future. “What we’re seeing is pressure easing throughout the system,” Ms Hammat said. “There’s only small numbers of elective surgeries that are being postponed and we’ll keep a close eye on that. We expect the system to, really, return to normal.” In a bizarre exchange with Liberal MP Nick Goiran, Minister Dawson questioned whether a maintenance report, warning about a leaking “radioactive waste pipe” at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, was real. The document was among 1000 work orders obtained by The West Australian’s special investigation, that prompted the announcement of a $50 million hospital maintenance blitz - though the Government insisted inspections confirmed the particular leak was not radioactive. “I’m not clear the documents do exist,” Mr Dawson said, when asked to provide the maintenance logs to Parliament. “According to an answer given to Parliament by a parliamentary secretary in this place they talked about it being available, documents being available through Freedom of Information . . . I’m not convinced it does exist. “Should it not exist, I think a parliamentary secretary or somebody else will need to apologise.” It was also revealed that 10-year old cardiac catheterisation labs at Fiona Stanley Hospital, pictured held together by tape, are on the South Metropolitan Health Service’s list for the new Health Asset Maintenance Fund but are not yet guaranteed funding. “It’s on south metro’s list, but the final list has not been decided on yet,” Dr Bowen said. “It may be funded through other mechanisms.”