So last week, there was a meeting, a public meeting about the disaster that's hit The Albany Health Campus. (Go here for more on the meeting Seriously Think for a minute: Public Meeting - Albany Health Campus. What Was What? )
In Parliament on Tuesday the 23rd of November 2021, just 5 days after meeting Libby Mettam the Opposition Health Spokesperson asked a question.
Now take note, there are 2 distinct parts to her question. Have a read then we'll crack open the Minister's reply.
Now just 2 parts, asking if he could confirm there were no beds available last Thursday & secondly why has there been no attempt to recitfy this by funding more beds.
And here's the Minister's reply...
So in order starting with (ARROW 1) "sad & sorrys" to Albany is not to the point, it's a personal swipe, I know they all do it, but it was my first red flag that he's not happy that he & the local member for Albany have an embarrassing mess and the local member is even more problematic because shes seem to not have a great clue before, during or after the meeting. She was silent at the public meeting & she's also been silent since the meeting. Her social media posts are intrigung. No calls for a WorkSafe Inquiry. What has she posted since the meeting? Go to below to *
But regarding the "fact of the matter is..." (ARROW 2)
The minister said To the issue of the allegations from the mayor on the eighteenth, I think quote goes, “Not a single bed was available at AHC, Plantagenet or Denmark.”
My recollection is quite different from the minister's "thought" on what was said...oh and he wasn't there. I recall the Mayor Dennis Wellington saying that he can contacted a person in the Hospital System earlier that day & that there "were no beds available in the Great Southern" and then went onto say so don't have a car accident or something serious requiring an overnight stay. My impression was the Mayor said when he spoke to the un-named person, there were no beds available in the Great Southern.
What the minister should have said that was either correct or incorrect when the Mayor was informed the Great Southern had no beds.
There may well have been one bed in Denmark (50+km away) and 4 beds available in Plantagenet Cranbrook Medical Centre (50+ kms away in Mount Barker later but...
Albany Health Campus was full, there were no spare beds AT ALL.
So if you had a car accident or serious medical event in the Great Southern that night there were 5 hospital beds 50+kms from Albany...ALBANY WAS FULL.
Reminder, 10-12 patients a week get are lifted to Perth.
Albany Health Campus had no beds & it services the Great Southern population of 60,000 people **
Now when you've let that sink in, re-read the Minister replying trying to belt & discredit the Shadow Health Spokesperson for getting things wrong. When the mayor said it, there were no beds in the Great Southern. How is it any better & ok having 5 beds 50+kms away and staff are over worked, over stressed, being bullied?
Can you just get the WorkSafe Inquiry running now before more people leave.
But no Roger Cook the minister went on in a rancid pork chop fashion in order to deflect and run from the problem hitting the Albany Health Campus.
1) It has a Toxic Culture, it needs a Worksafe Inquiry
2) Accusations of bullying, it needs a WorkSafe Inquiry
3) Staff are over worked, over stress and it needs a Worksafe Inquiry
3) Only 19% of staff think their organisation is "making the necessary improvements to meet future challenges" so it probably needs a WorkSafe Inquiry.
4) On the date of the Public meeting, the biggest hospital, the ONLY major hospital in the Great Southern was full.
Remember the Albany Health Campus is in Albany, population 38,296 (2020) & Mayor Wellington said it's expected to grow to 50,000 by 2030. It was only 35,000 when the hospital was completed in 2013 so capability wise the fantastic staff are seriously ham strung by the lack of expansion & the patients...well hope you all get beds when needed & survive.
And no, I am not sorry I do not support the minister's intellectually bankrupt claim that the hospital is suffering from "difficult COVID times" BECAUSE THERE'S NO COVID IN ALBANY.
It's suffering from a lack of beds, a lack of staff and a lack of good management that should prevent bullying, over work, over stress and all many of other forms of avoidable ugliness that comes from a Toxic Workplace. As for the range of activities that support staff, Roger should list them if he's to repea this claim because clearly its not happening or it's totally ineffective. The staff & ex staff say so.
One last note on the Plantagenet Cranbrook Health Service...you can no longer have a baby there or Katanning. You'll have to rush to Albany & hope there's a bed after you've given birth.
Oh interesting fact, a family member was admitted to hospital, collapsed at home and was rushed to Albany Health Campus. It was full but there was a spare bed luckily, in the Maternity Ward. Only bed in the Hospital & that was over 2 years ago.
Wake up Roger or make way for someone who can cope because all this stress and inability to have beds is now BEFORE COVID GETS HERE...HOW DO YOU EXPECT STAFF AND PATIENTS CAN COPE, THERE'S NOT EVEN A ICU OR VENTILATOR IN ALBANY, ONLY A HIGH DEPENDENCY UNIT.
But never mind, keep playing political games, use tactical replies instead of factual answer...I do hope that when COVID hits we don't have to set up temporary tent morgues Roger.
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* Rebecca Stephen's Social Media Posts since the public meeting
Nov 19 - Attending Graduation of Albany Secondary Education Support Centre
Nov 21 - Promotion of "Free Christmas Lights Bus Tour" (but not free, Gold Coin Donation going to un-named charity
Nov 22 - Congratulating 3 local groups on being awarded $1000 grants for International Day of People with Disabilities.
Nov 23 - Albany TAFE receiving $400,000 of funding
Nov 23 - Highlighting Albany reacjing 85% COVID first dose. The pop up Vax Site in the Old Bunnings Building, no appointment needed.
Nov 23 - Highlighting a social event at Parliament & welcoming ADF Veterans with Legacy Australia and RSLWA.
Nov 24 - UWA Albany & Children's University Australasia
Nov 24 - Turning the sod with Minister for Emergency Services Reece Whitby for the new SES Headquarters. We were lucky, Reece flew into Albany. He spent roughly 2 hours fly from Perth to Albany & back again. Stayed in Albany less than 3 hours.
That's it. Nothing to do with the Hospital. No requests for health staff to contact her with concerns because y'know...she said she regularly talks with Roger Cook. She like Roger, should probably step up or step down...
** Population of the Great Southern a-regional-profile-2018-great-southern.pdf (gsdc.wa.gov.au)
Below Albany Advertiser 23rd of November 2021
It's suffering from a lack of beds, a lack of staff and a lack of good management that should prevent bullying, over work, over stress and all many of other forms of avoidable ugliness that comes from a Toxic Workplace. As for the range of activities that support staff, Roger should list them if he's to repea this claim because clearly its not happening or it's totally ineffective. The staff & ex staff say so.
One last note on the Plantagenet Cranbrook Health Service...you can no longer have a baby there or Katanning. You'll have to rush to Albany & hope there's a bed after you've given birth.
Oh interesting fact, a family member was admitted to hospital, collapsed at home and was rushed to Albany Health Campus. It was full but there was a spare bed luckily, in the Maternity Ward. Only bed in the Hospital & that was over 2 years ago.
Wake up Roger or make way for someone who can cope because all this stress and inability to have beds is now BEFORE COVID GETS HERE...HOW DO YOU EXPECT STAFF AND PATIENTS CAN COPE, THERE'S NOT EVEN A ICU OR VENTILATOR IN ALBANY, ONLY A HIGH DEPENDENCY UNIT.
But never mind, keep playing political games, use tactical replies instead of factual answer...I do hope that when COVID hits we don't have to set up temporary tent morgues Roger.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
* Rebecca Stephen's Social Media Posts since the public meeting
Nov 19 - Attending Graduation of Albany Secondary Education Support Centre
Nov 21 - Promotion of "Free Christmas Lights Bus Tour" (but not free, Gold Coin Donation going to un-named charity
Nov 22 - Congratulating 3 local groups on being awarded $1000 grants for International Day of People with Disabilities.
Nov 23 - Albany TAFE receiving $400,000 of funding
Nov 23 - Highlighting Albany reacjing 85% COVID first dose. The pop up Vax Site in the Old Bunnings Building, no appointment needed.
Nov 23 - Highlighting a social event at Parliament & welcoming ADF Veterans with Legacy Australia and RSLWA.
Nov 24 - UWA Albany & Children's University Australasia
Nov 24 - Turning the sod with Minister for Emergency Services Reece Whitby for the new SES Headquarters. We were lucky, Reece flew into Albany. He spent roughly 2 hours fly from Perth to Albany & back again. Stayed in Albany less than 3 hours.
That's it. Nothing to do with the Hospital. No requests for health staff to contact her with concerns because y'know...she said she regularly talks with Roger Cook. She like Roger, should probably step up or step down...
** Population of the Great Southern a-regional-profile-2018-great-southern.pdf (gsdc.wa.gov.au)
Below Albany Advertiser 23rd of November 2021
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