West Australians needing urgent help at hospital emergency departments are waiting longer than anywhere else in the country.
A report released by the Productivity Commission shows fewer than half of all emergency patients are being seen on time.
“Our health system is in dire straits,” WA President of the Australian Medical Association, Michael Page, said.
But he noted the report “doesn’t show us anything we don’t already know”.
The state’s GP shortage is the worst in almost a decade but WA Premier Roger Cook says that isn’t the state government’s fault.
“I don’t control the GPs – that is the responsibility of the federal government,” Cook said.
But Liberal leader Libby Mettam disagrees.
“Roger Cook has either been the premier or the health minister over the last eight years, he owns this crisis,” she said.
The Productivity Commission report found that just 48 per cent of Emergency Department presentations in Western Australia were seen on time.
WA also recorded the worst wait times for those needing urgent help.
“It should not feel like our health system is on life support,” Mettam said.
While ramping of ambulances outside hospitals is down more than 20 per cent, it’s still high.
“We tackle this in many different ways but it’s about working together to try to relieve the pressure on the system,” Kevin Brown, CEO of St John WA, said.
But the premier says what’s happening in hospitals can be blamed on the GP shortage.
“We run the hospitals and we have to make sure that those hospitals are dealing with the fact that we don’t have enough GPs in WA,” he said.
The Australian Medical Association says the state has relied on migrants trained overseas to fill healthcare roles and believes that needs to change.
“I’d call on the opposition and the govt to commit to a plan to become self-sufficient with respect to training our health workforce in Western Australia,” Page said.
Mettam agreeing with the sentiment and suggesting a $20,000 cash incentive to study and work, in the hopes of solving the nursing shortfall.
“This is all about making WA the most attractive state to become a nurse,” the Liberal leader said.
The report also found West Australians are being forced to forego medical attention and crucial medication because of the rising cost of healthcare.
