The AMA’s latest annual public hospital report card showed there was no improvement in WA last year, with the state’s hospitals missing several targets — including a rule that aims to have emergency department visits completed in four hours or less.
The report card said less than 80 per cent of emergency department visits were finished within four hours or less, short of the 90 per cent National Emergency Access Target set by state governments.
WA’s public hospitals also failed to improve on elective surgery waiting times and targets.
AMA WA president Michael Gannon blamed the withdrawal of Commonwealth funding to the public hospital sector.
“The problems remain the same for every state,” Dr Gannon said.
“The greatest concern for us in Western Australia is that at a time where our performance on elective surgery and emergency department waiting times could be a lot better, we have a Government that’s proposing to cut staff from the South Metropolitan Health Service.
“We do not have that luxury.”
The WA Government said last year the hospital system was overstaffed by “several hundred” employees, with significant job cuts expected this year amid reduced national funding.
But Dr Gannon said the system was already struggling to cope with demand.
“We’ve seen a gradual slight reduction in private health insurance rates, we’ve got new epidemics of drug use, new epidemics of obesity and overweight which contribute to the strain on the system,” he said.
“So as difficult as it is for state governments to find the funding, year-on-year the system becomes more expensive and more complex.”
State must do more to secure funding: Gannon
Dr Gannon said the opening of Fiona Stanley Hospital would have contributed to the below-average figures, but said that was no excuse.
“We know that opening a new hospital is, by definition, an inefficient process,” he said.
“But I think that’s a one-off. Enough time for excuses.
“Fiona Stanley has been open for a year now, it’s time to move forward.”
Dr Gannon said the State Government should be doing more to secure funding from the Commonwealth.
“As difficult as it is for state governments with their admittedly very narrow tax space, they need to find the funds to fund this important work,” he said.
“If they can’t provide those funds, they need to be honest with the people of Western Australia.”