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Ambulance ramping a new record of over 6000 hours this month, hundreds of elective surgeries postponed, code yellows almost on a weekly basis, health staff protesting for more resources...I just don't get it given ED presentations are only marginally higher than previous years and we have no Covid patients. What the hell is going on?

Spot on BC. If anyone thinks anything is going to change once we hit 80% vax you are dreaming -

Virus-free WA's hospitals under strain
Michael Ramsey
AAP
Mon, 30 August 2021 10:50AM
Western Australia has put a month-long freeze on non-urgent category two and three procedures. Credit: AAP

Western Australia's capacity to handle a COVID-19 outbreak is being questioned as the state again postpones hundreds of elective surgeries.

The month-long freeze, which will apply to non-urgent, multi-day category two and three procedures, comes amid overcrowding and staff shortages in the state's public hospitals.

It is the third time during the pandemic that WA has been forced to postpone some elective surgeries despite having a negligible virus caseload.

Australian Medical Association WA president Mark Duncan-Smith has warned the health system will struggle in the event of a significant outbreak.

He has pointed the finger at the McGowan government for not investing sufficiently in hospital capacity.

"The level of water has been rising steadily, and now the system is drowning," he told Perth radio 6PR on Monday.

Several of Perth's tertiary hospitals have issued "code yellow" alerts in recent months, signalling their emergency departments have exceeded capacity.

Employees at Perth Children's Hospital and King Edward Memorial Hospital have meanwhile held rallies to protest staff shortages and working conditions.

Premier Mark McGowan criticised the doctors' union, saying hospitals in every state were experiencing significant demand.

"They should stop scaremongering," he told reporters.

"All I'd say is we have a great health system by world standards but it's under pressure.

"If we did have an outbreak, which we're doing everything we can to prevent that, you take further measures which is what NSW has done."

WA's health department has indicated hospitals have had a spike in cases of the metapneumovirus respiratory illness. The premier said this had led to some staff getting sick and staying home in accordance with health protocols.

He said there were also hundreds of patients occupying WA hospital beds who should be managed by the NDIS or in aged care.

The government has promised to open 332 new hospital beds as part of an additional $1.9 billion health investment in next month's state budget.

Health Minister Roger Cook has also outlined incentives to lure hospital workers from interstate and overseas, as well as refresher courses for experienced nurses and midwives and plans to take on more student graduates.

Figures published by St John Ambulance reveal ambulances have spent more than 6000 hours parked outside hospitals waiting to admit patients this month.

It is almost a tenfold increase from when the Labor government was elected in 2017.

There were almost 30,000 people on the waitlist for elective surgery at public hospitals as of May, according to data published by the health department.

Opposition health spokeswoman Libby Mettam said the delays would be distressing for patients.

"For the WA government to implement this measure again without any COVID-19 cases in the community shows they are asleep at the wheel, unable to plan for a foreseeable problem," she said.

WA recorded no new cases on Monday.

The state is monitoring 24 active cases, including two NSW truck drivers who tested positive after travelling through three states.

All 24 of their close and casual contacts have now tested negative.

I was certainly one of the many on here who congratulated McGoo on the job he did during the early stages by acting decisively in shutting borders and locking large parts of the state down. But that was 18 months ago and we've moved on both here, nationally and globally. My concern is that even if we reach an 80% level of vaccination in WA and McGoo is still not prepared to open the place up, what will it take and when will he open interstate and international borders to anyone who is vaccinated? When will he accept we can't defeat the virus but we have to learn to live with it?

BC wrote:

I was certainly one of the many on here who congratulated McGoo on the job he did during the early stages by acting decisively in shutting borders and locking large parts of the state down. But that was 18 months ago and we've moved on both here, nationally and globally. My concern is that even if we reach an 80% level of vaccination in WA and McGoo is still not prepared to open the place up, what will it take and when will he open interstate and international borders to anyone who is vaccinated? When will he accept we can't defeat the virus but we have to learn to live with it?

Yes, Its becoming extremely concerning the corner McGhoo has painted the entire State into, if we cant get out of this at 80% vaccination rates then we are never getting out of it, The UK is now fully back to normal, it was good to see crowds back at EPL games, and its due to vaccination, McGhoo needs to get with the national and global program and get the State and its people open again along the a national target so  international/state  borders can open for those fully vaccinated.

 

There isn't one state including the ACT that is anywhere near opening borders to NSW given the absolute shambles that state is in - not one person from Sydney could be trusted to tell truth or follow procedure looking at the daily breaches on a very large scale
Not an ounce of political party in it either - it's just total incomprehension of law

Yes..agree with all you've said Southy....this is beyond politics and about the ability to live, work, play and carry on something like a normal life. We can do it now with borders shut to pretty much everywhere except NT and SA but my concern is what happens when NSW finally comes out of it? What is McGoos plan? Will we continue to live like a hermit state even though we've hit the 80% vaccination level and the rest of the planet is getting back to the new normal? What will it take for McGoo to release the brakes? I have no idea to be honest and don't think he does either.  While he can continue to shut everything down and hold himself out to be some latter day hero with the various local media outlets acting as cheers squads, I can't see anything changing any time soon.

This is the latest from Dear Leader to reinforce my earlier concerns.

Deliberately allowing COVID-19 into the State once 70 per cent of West Australians are fully vaccinated would cost “hundreds of lives” and risked bringing the booming mining industry — which has underwritten billions of dollars in financial support to the locked-down eastern seaboard — to a standstill.

That was the stark warning issued by Premier Mark McGowan on Monday night as he insisted WA’s reopening, which appears increasingly likely to deviate from the path laid out in the national plan, would only be “a few months” behind the rest of Australia.

“As I’ve said many times we will reopen our borders to COVID-infected States when it is safe to do so but that is not at 70 per cent vaccination,” Mr McGowan said. “The difference in timing would only be a matter of a few months if we get our fair share of vaccines from the Commonwealth.”

I come into contact with a lot of FIFO and health care workers and I am staggered how many are unvaccinated and stubborn about getting the jab. Clearly this has to change, getting vaccinated has to become compulsory for these and many other industries.

If you want to be a big tough bogan and refuse to get vaccinated then find another job. If you want to work in the health care industry but don’t want to protect yourself, then you are putting your patients and work colleagues in danger. You too need to find another job.

Bazza wrote:

BC wrote:

I was certainly one of the many on here who congratulated McGoo on the job he did during the early stages by acting decisively in shutting borders and locking large parts of the state down. But that was 18 months ago and we've moved on both here, nationally and globally. My concern is that even if we reach an 80% level of vaccination in WA and McGoo is still not prepared to open the place up, what will it take and when will he open interstate and international borders to anyone who is vaccinated? When will he accept we can't defeat the virus but we have to learn to live with it?

Yes, Its becoming extremely concerning the corner McGhoo has painted the entire State into, if we cant get out of this at 80% vaccination rates then we are never getting out of it, The UK is now fully back to normal, it was good to see crowds back at EPL games, and its due to vaccination, McGhoo needs to get with the national and global program and get the State and its people open again along the a national target so  international/state  borders can open for those fully vaccinated.


 

coronavirus.data.gov.uk/

DD wrote:

I come into contact with a lot of FIFO and health care workers and I am staggered how many are unvaccinated and stubborn about getting the jab. Clearly this has to change, getting vaccinated has to become compulsory for these and many other industries.

If you want to be a big tough bogan and refuse to get vaccinated then find another job. If you want to work in the health care industry but don’t want to protect yourself, then you are putting your patients and work colleagues in danger. You too need to find another job.

I honestly can’t understand what is so “manly” about not having the shots.  I have not heard one good reason why people are so reluctant..  Maybe it’s a bit of “they can’t tell me what to do!” ??  FFS, it’s no big deal if you do, but a big deal if you don’t.