Meredith Hammat was named Minister for Health following this year’s State election, taking on her first ministerial portfolio in the re-elected Cook Government.
Speaking to Medical Forum on a wide range of issues, Ms Hammat said while there was still work to do to improve the health system, the government had put in place a system that would allow a sharper focus on priority areas.
MF: What are your top three priorities for your first year within the health portfolio?
MINISTER: I’ve spent the first two months in the job listening closely to clinicians, patients and staff across our system to understand what’s working, and where we need to improve.
My top three priorities are clear. First is improving access, whether it’s getting into an emergency department, receiving elective surgery in a timely way, or getting care closer to home in our communities, I want every West Australian to feel supported, no matter where they live.
Second is building a strong, stable health workforce.
If we want to maintain world-class care, we need to invest in the people delivering it.
And third is long-term sustainability.
We need to plan wisely, manage resources responsibly, and keep reforming so the system can keep up with the growing demand.
MF: With responsibility for health scattered across multiple ministers and portfolios in the current cabinet, how have you found the team approach working so far? Is there a clear understanding of where each portfolio starts and another begins?
MINISTER: It’s a fresh and innovative approach and it’s working well. We’ve got a dynamic team and division of responsibilities is clear.
As lead Health Minister, I keep us coordinated and focused on delivering accessible, healthcare to all West Australians.
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John Carey is handling infrastructure; his job is to upgrade and build the hospitals we need.
Simone McGurk will lead efforts to reduce pressure on hospitals by improving access to aged care beds and supporting timely discharge of our largest cohort of patients.
Sabine Winton will drive long-term initiatives to keep people well and to keep them out of our hospitals.
And Medical Research Minister Stephen Dawson will continue to lead health and medical research and innovation.
It’s a smart, whole-of-government approach, and it’s helping us focus more sharply on priority areas.
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MF: You have not only been appointed to the significant portfolio of health but also mental health, do you see advantages to having both portfolios sitting with the same minister?
MINISTER: Mental health should be treated with the same urgency and care as physical health.
Having both portfolios together means we can take a more holistic approach.
I’m proud to be driving and delivering our election commitment to provide a multimillion-dollar expansion of our mental health services, including a new residential eating disorder recovery centre, expanded care for struggling new parents and strengthened mental health support in the workplace.
MF: With WA becoming the first State to create a dedicated preventative health portfolio, is there a lot of expectation on your colleague Sabine Winton to make measurable change within the WA health landscape?
MINISTER: There’s pressure, sure, but it’s the good kind. Sabine and I talk all the time, our offices are just down the hall from one another.
We’re both particularly proud of our nation leading RSV vaccination program, which has kept hundreds of newborns and children out of hospital since it started last year.
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And at the start of the month we got our free flu shots together.
This is a really important program to keep West Australians healthy as we approach the winter months.
MF: What are you doing to address GP deserts across WA?
MINISTER: This is a serious challenge, especially in regional, remote, and outer suburban areas.
The Federal Government is responsible for funding primary care and it holds the key policy levers to address GP shortfalls in WA and elsewhere, including Commonwealth Supported Places for medical students, GP training and the Medicare Benefits Schedule.
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Now that the Federal election is over, I look forward to engaging with the reappointed Federal Health Minister Mark Butler to advocate strongly that WA receives its fair share of funding commitments, including the expansion of GP training places, junior doctor rotations in primary healthcare, and an increase in Commonwealth Supported Places.
MF: With WA projected to be short 720 fulltime equivalent GPs by 2028, and 1350 by 2048, what steps will the current government be taking to boost the workforce in the short term, but also to encourage more individuals into the profession and to support medical students?
MINISTER: The department engages regularly with key medical colleges and training providers including the RACGP, Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, WA Primary Health Alliance and other stakeholders to support strategies that enhance GP attraction, retention and equitable distribution in WA.
We’ve partnered with stakeholders to implement programs that promote general practice and strengthen GP training, including the GP Hospital Training Pathway that optimises hospital training for junior doctors with GP intent.
Other programs include the Community Residency Program, and Commonwealth-funded John Flynn Prevocational Doctor Program that provides junior doctors with exposure to general practice, and the Rural Generalist Pathway WA.
That means more training opportunities, better support in rural areas, and initiatives to give doctors hands-on experience. We’re also helping overseas GPs get registered faster because we need them now, and into the future.
MF: Allowing GPs to diagnose and treat ADHD was an election commitment. What steps are yet to be taken for GPs in WA to begin diagnosing ADHD and prescribing associated medication, and when do you see GPs being able to start delivering this service?
MINISTER: We’re proud of our commitment to allow families to access ADHD care without needing to go to a psychiatrist or paediatrician, especially at a time when we’re working to ease the demands on our Child Development Services waitlists.
The Department of Health is working with the RACGP to roll out a GP ADHD Training Certification Program as soon as possible.
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It’s practical, it’s timely, and it will help ease pressure on the whole system.
MF: What progress has been made on the implementation of the GP ASK program and when will it be operational?
MINISTER: GP ASK is another exciting initiative. It’s all about supporting GPs so more care can be delivered outside hospitals to ease growing pressures on our system.
The ASK project team is continuing planning with GPs with rollout starting mid-year. It’ll begin with immunology and expand from there.
MF: There have been calls to make Meningococcal B immunisations free, do you have plans to expand the State’s immunisation schedule to include this vaccination?
MINISTER: The Minister for Preventative Health and I continue to be guided on this by the National Immunisation Program, which currently provides free Meningococcal B immunisations to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, and other children and adults with certain medical conditions.
However, we will work closely with the Department of Health to consider a State-funded Meningococcal B vaccination program should the number of reported cases significantly escalate beyond the annual average of seven.
MF: For months we’ve heard warnings that the already stretched public hospital system would struggle even further if the private system continues to come under pressure. What can be done within WA (and nationally too) to ensure private services are viable and remain part of the broader health system?
MINISTER: The private system handles around 41% of hospital admissions in WA, it’s a crucial part of our system.
We’re supporting reforms proposed by the Federal Health Minister to assist the sector and we’ll continue to work with the Federal Government to keep private health viable.
We need both systems to be strong.
MF: How would you rate the WA health system as it is today?
MINISTER: I’d say we have a health system we should be incredibly proud of. It’s staffed by some of the most dedicated professionals you’ll find anywhere.
However, we know there are areas that we need to work on, and challenges we’ll face in the future.
We’re expanding emergency departments, adding hospital beds, performing record numbers of elective surgeries, and using smart tech like the Virtual ED and the State Health Operations Centre to work smarter.
We’ve got work to do, but I’m optimistic. And I’m in this to make a real difference.
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