Latest news with #LibbyMettam
West Australian
31-07-2025
- Health
- West Australian
Ramping hits a new all-time record with ambulances stranded outside WA hospitals for 7000 hours in July
Ramping hit a new all-time record in July, it can be revealed, with St John WA confirming on Friday that its ambulances were stranded outside hospitals with patients onboard for 7009 hours. The alarming figure passes the previous record of 6972 hours that was set in July 2022, at the height of the COVID pandemic. Shadow Health Minister Libby Mettam said it's a result of 'neglect' of the State's health system. 'When an ambulance is parked outside an emergency department it means other patients requiring urgent medical care are left waiting,' she said on Friday. 'Ramped ambulances are more than just a sign of emergency departments under pressure, they are a clear sign our entire hospital system is under unsustainable pressure.' On Thursday, the State's health boss has blamed a severe flu season, that had been worse than expected and has resulted in 2325 hospital admissions so far. 'We try and push, pull and move and assist but I couldn't magic up more beds or staff in any great volumes,' WA Health Director-General Shirley Bowen said. She said the old way is 'not coping' with an influx of older, more complicated, patients and that a 'new model of care' will take time. Geriatricians are being deployed to assist emergency departments and Labor has promised to establish three 'older adult hubs' to help keep seniors out of hospital. 'We will hopefully get the first one online by December,' Dr Bowen said. Virtual care from nurses, instead of doctors, is also being ramped up. 'We're commencing that work in a couple of weeks to hopefully improve access,' Dr Bowen said. 'I won't have that fully done for next winter, but hopefully over the two to three years it will take us to completely reform that. 'It's very important that we try and change the model of care.' The Australian Medical Association has called for urgent efforts to radically increase hospital capacity. The State Budget has included funding to expand Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital's intensive care unit, and begin planing for expansions of emergency departments at Royal Perth Hospital and Midland - but no date for construction. 'We say a lot that ramping is bad, the hospital system is under pressure,' AMA WA president Kyle Hoath said. 'This is what happens when we aren't adequately resources and we're in the midst of a horror flu season and that will impact our hospitals and waiting times, ramping and then it happens, and we're not surprised. 'I don't believe we have that plan in place now to a level that would keep me happy. I do actually have confidence that (the Government) are prepared to do the work for that plan. I'm hearing the right things. . . it needs to be followed up.'
ABC News
30-07-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Lack of aged care beds, home support in keeping the elderly in hospital in WA
Each day around 200 hospital beds in Western Australia are taken up by people who do not need to be there, according to state budget estimates released last month. It is the result of a lack of aged care vacancies and at-home support for older people, particularly in regional areas. The issue has added pressure to the state's already stretched health system, which experienced its worst month on record for regional ambulance ramping in May. Patients are being admitted to hospital for genuine health issues, but to be released into an at-home care model, they may have to wait an extra 10 days in hospital, while those waiting for a residential aged care place face an additional 16-day wait on average. WA's Shadow Health Minister Libby Mettam said not enough was being done to address the issue, and patients should not be staying in hospital longer than medically required. "It also has an impact on the rest of the hospital system, and it all comes as an unnecessary cost to taxpayers." An average hospital bed costs $2,370 per day compared with an aged care placement of about $350 a day. A 2022–23 report from the state's auditor general, Management of Long Stay Patients in Public Hospitals, highlighted concerns for the patients themselves, the impact on the health system, and a lack of data in relation to the ongoing issue. WA Minister for Seniors and Aged Care Simone McGurk said aged care was a federal government responsibility, and there were not enough beds available across the country. At the end of March, federal Department of Health, Disability and Ageing figures showed there were 87,597 people nationally waiting for home care packages. The state government has committed to a $100 million low-interest loan scheme to help aged care providers deliver up to 500 additional concessional aged care beds. The scheme is expected to be rolled out next financial year. Ms McGurk said the state government's Time to Think program also provided 42 beds at different aged care facilities in Perth for those leaving hospital, but it only operated in Perth. Ms Mettam said the scarcity of residential aged care options in regional areas was of great concern. In Northam, about 95 kilometres north-east of Perth, aged care providers estimate there is an undersupply of nearly 200 residential aged care beds, predicted to reach 350 beds by 2032, including 160 retirement accommodation places. The town has two aged care facilities with a total of 80 beds, built in the 1970s and 80s and privately run by Juniper Aged Care. The Shire of Northam said it was aware of 50 aged care clients who had relocated to Perth because their needs could no longer be met by the existing facilities, which were in vital need of upgrades or expansion. Northam is home to more than 12,000 people, and the town's services also cater to the wider Wheatbelt region, according to Shire President Chris Antonio. "The ageing population, particularly our farmers, want to stay close to where they are from," he said. "It is close enough that they can still go back to the farm or the town that they grew up in without having to move to the city. "They don't want to live in the city and, by not having aged care beds, we aren't making that possible for them." Cr Antonio said the local government was asking for state and federal government support. Cr Antonio said the shire estimated private providers would need an investment in excess of $10 million to provide the level of aged care the region needed. He said Killara Adult Day Care and Respite Centre, which provided temporary care to aged care clients living at home, had taken on four clients in the past month from Northam Regional Hospital to reduce the strain on the health system. Juniper Aged Care chief executive Russell Bricknell said without additional Commonwealth funding for home care packages, those in need would "pass away before they get any support". "If I'm an older person and I'm having to make decisions because I'm getting frailer, the absolute preference is to maintain my independence in my home, close to my community, close to my family, and getting the supports in the home," he said. In a statement, federal Aged Care Minister Stuart McRae said the government was investing almost $1 billion through the Aged Care Capital Assistance Program to help providers and aged care facilities develop residential aged care homes across Australia, especially within rural and regional areas.
West Australian
03-07-2025
- Health
- West Australian
Opposition renews calls to fund meningococcal B vaccine as WA hits seven cases of deadly disease
The Opposition has renewed calls to fund the meningococcal B vaccine after six of seven recorded cases of the deadly disease this year were identified as the strain. The latest case of the uncommon but life-threatening bacterial infection, diagnosed in a child who is now recovering in hospital, brought the total in line with the State's five-year average. It prompted shadow health minister Libby Mettam to urge the Minister for Preventative Health to consider a free vaccination program for MenB in Budget Estimates on Wednesday. A combined vaccine for A, C, W and Y strains is free via the National Immunisation Program for all children aged 12 months, but the immunisation to protect against the B strain is not. Immunising against MenB is currently a costly exercise in WA with two doses of the jab costing between $320 to $350. It is only free for First Nations children and other children with specified conditions. When urged to consider a free vaccination program in Budget Estimates, Preventative Health Minister Sabine Winton said WA Health were closely monitoring cases. 'The Department of Health and the Communicable Disease Control Directorate closely monitor all those serious notifiable diseases, including meningococcal,' she said. 'They continue to provide advice to ministers, including me, regarding the requirements relating to meningococcal B and other strains. 'I will continue to monitor the trends in relation to MenB and seek advice from experts around Western Australia's future response.' WA Department of Health director-general Shirley Bowen said a vaccination program would be considered if there were clusters of MenB in the community. 'Seven is a number that concerns us definitely,' she said. 'We have a very active and watching brief on this situation and we will consider it at any time should we see significant clusters of meningococcal B occurring. 'At the moment, we are not seeing significant clusters. We are just seeing the occasional case but we definitely recognise it is an important and preventable disease and we will continue to watch it actively.' At a press conference on Tuesday, Ms Mettam said the strain B vaccine 'represents extraordinary bang for buck because it ultimately saves lives'. 'Meningococcal B is a serious life threatening condition but there is a way to prevent it and that is through the roll out of a free vaccination, something that we have seen in other states,' she said. 'The Cook Labor government can do this.' Meningitis Centre chief executive Karen Quick backed the call for MenB vaccinations to be made free. 'South Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory have all gone ahead as they're not prepared to take a gamble with their children's lives,' she said. 'Western Australia can do exactly the same thing. It's not fair, it's not equitable that the states across our borders get vaccinated and yet our children here in WA don't. 'Vaccines are no good sitting on shelves. They need to be in our children's arms to protect them.'
ABC News
30-06-2025
- Health
- ABC News
WA regional hospitals hit record high for ambulance ramping hours
Ambulances in regional Western Australia spent more than 240 hours waiting outside hospitals to transfer patients last month — an average of eight hours a day. The June figures from St John represent a new high for regional ramping, surpassing the previous record of 222.2 hours last September. Ramping happens any time an ambulance spends more than 30 minutes waiting outside a hospital for their patient to be received. While every regional hospital except Northam experienced a month-on-month increase in June, Bunbury hospital bore the brunt of the problem, accounting for about 85 per cent of non-metropolitan ramping hours. Meanwhile, metropolitan hospitals collectively observed a small decrease. WA deputy opposition leader and shadow health minister Libby Mettam said the situation was putting regional West Australians' lives at risk. She said spikes in ramping could also hamper the capacity of paramedics to respond to emergencies. Health Minister Meredith Hammat said ramping was a nationwide issue with a range of complex contributing factors. "Our government is throwing everything we can at it," she said. "Bunbury Regional Hospital is currently undergoing a $471.5 million redevelopment to boost patient capacity, and we've significantly increased staff numbers statewide by more than 30 per cent since 2021. "WA Country Health Service has several initiatives to attract and retain junior doctors in the regions, and I'm pleased to report a record 33 interns joined the health service this year." The state government began a significant redevelopment of Bunbury hospital in January to expand its capacity. But the Australian Medical Association (AMA) said while the project would add more beds, it would not address staffing shortages, which it believed was behind the ramping increase. AMA WA president Kyle Hoath said it was a chronic and growing problem. "The workforce in our regional areas is stretched really thin … particularly when we look at Bunbury," he said. Dr Hoath said it was not just hospital staffing shortages having an impact on ramping. He said general practitioners were under pressure in regional and rural areas too, partly due to a lack of specialist services, meaning some patients were forced to lean on emergency services instead. Dr Hoath has urged the state government to invest more in attracting medical staff to the regions and incentivising them to stay. The National Rural Health Alliance echoed that call. "We need to make sure that we pay people well, not less, that we make sure their practices can function without feeling that they're stretched," chief executive Susanne Tegen said. "It's about time people that live in rural Australia receive the same access to healthcare and the same amount of dollars [as is] spent on urban people." Dental surgeon David McInerney is well acquainted with the difficulties of attracting staff to the region. But the Margaret River-based practitioner said it was not always for lack of desire. "There is simply nowhere for them to live," Dr McInerney said. Recently he had to put three of his dental staff up in vacant dwellings on his own property in order to keep them. "Other health practices who don't have that additional help would be struggling to attract staff because if they don't have anywhere to live, they're not going to come," he said. Dr Mclnerney said the area's growing population was also putting a strain on other essential infrastructure, including Margaret River Hospital itself. He said this added pressure to Bunbury's system as locals were often forced to turn there instead. "People are seriously ill but they're being shipped away from their families and their support networks simply because they don't have the beds available," he said. The ABC has contacted the WA Country Health Service (WACHS) for comment. St John WA declined to comment.
The Guardian
25-03-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Basil Zempilas kicks first goal as he aims to lead WA Liberals back into power
Basil Zempilas' punt for leadership has sailed straight through the goalposts, in a gameplay by Western Australia's Liberals that surprised nobody. As the nation waited for the federal budget to drop, Zempilas took centre stage on the steps of the state parliament to announce his unopposed appointment as opposition leader. By his side was his predecessor, Libby Mettam, who stepped down to deputy. Barely a fortnight after being elected to parliament, the former football player and sports presenter turned-lord mayor says a Liberal reset is under way. 'The road to 2029 election begins today,' he said. 'I am honoured and humbled to have been elected to lead the Western Australian Liberal party.' 'We will examine, probe and scrutinise and we will demand 'gold standard' transparency and accountability from WA Labor.' He went on to reveal that earlier this month he severed his employment with billionaire Kerry Stokes' Seven West Media, a role he controversially retained while earning $186,000 a year as lord mayor of Perth. He said his position as lord mayor ceased automatically when the election results were declared. But Zempilas admitted he would continue to write unpaid for his former employer and appear on Channel 7's Sunrise program. 'Libby Mettam writes a column in The West Australian, but is not an employee of Seven West Media. Rita Saffioti writes a column in The West Australian,' he said. The big question now is whether Zempilas' high profile is enough of a silver bullet for the WA Liberals. Labor won its third successive landslide on 8 March, taking 46 of the 59 lower house seats. The Liberals, while narrowly winning back opposition status – after losing it in 2021 – only hold seven seats in the legislative assembly, one more than the Nationals. Instead of comfortably winning the once blue-ribbon Liberal stronghold seat of Churchlands, Zempilas limped over the line by 636 votes – with 90% of the ballot now counted. 'It was a humiliating rejection (by many voters),' William Bowe, a political analyst at the University of Western Australia, says. 'It's part of the parcel of evidence that he is not as appealing as his backers assumed that he was.' But Bowe says Zempilas has 'showbiz pizzazz'. 'He is obviously good on television. It is going to be a learning curve for Basil, who has a lot of experience in the media, but little as a parliamentary strategist. 'I think the early period is going to be quite dangerous for Basil, if he commits a couple of high-profile blunders then it could stick.' Zempilas, 53, is no stranger to controversy. He raised eyebrows more than once during his mayoral tenure, notably when he wrote in his newspaper column that homeless people should be forcibly removed from Perth city. He later backtracked on those comments, saying he wanted to turn car parks into safe spaces before again having to apologise for making transphobic comments on his radio 6PR program. On Tuesday, Zempilas said he was committed to ensuring WA Labor makes decisions to benefit all West Australians. 'We will not allow four more years of failures in delivering quality health services, accessible housing, and reliable, affordable electricity.' Murdoch University political scientist, Jacob Broom, says Zempilas brings personality and name recognition, but warned that can come with its negatives. 'There is polling that shows that name recognition for Libby Mettam and Shane Love was quite low,' Broom says. 'I think that is why he is perceived as a positive for the party,' Broom says. 'But his (Zempilas') image is kind of divisive to especially middle-class voters that the Liberal party are really trying to get back. Some voters have a reaction to electing a sports or media personality because they perceive him to not have the credentials to make good leadership decisions and govern.' Zempilas' track record on women's shelters and his notoriety as a major sporting personality may be problematic for a Liberal party working to resuscitate its popularity with women, Broom says. During his time as lord mayor Zempilas defended a decision to end the trial of a women's night shelter that housed many who were escaping family and domestic violence. At the time, Zempilas insisted he was acting for the Perth community and cited complaints from nearby residents about anti-social behaviour. He said he asked the state government to fund the service in the future and they had declined. Today, Zempilas says that the WA Liberal team will prove it is a credible alternative to government. He promised to lead with fairness, integrity and with an invigorated team that listens to West Australians.
