Brief Ministerial Statements (BMS)
By Hon Kim Hames MLA
Thurdsay, 22 October 2009
KEIRAN WATMORE
Mr Speaker, I rise to make an apology to the family of Keiran Watmore. Keiran, who was a healthy 17 year old, died on 28 August 2008 in Albany Regional Hospital where he had presented at the Emergency Department with tonsillitis. Sadly a relatively common condition turned into a tragedy for Keiran and his family.
Coroner Mr Alistair Hope handed down his findings into Keiran's death on 30 September 2009. The report found that the care provided at Albany Regional Hospital was not followed up in a manner that was adequate under the circumstances.
The Coroner found that Keiran had passed away due to a series of factors which may have had a cumulative effect. These included severe compromises of his upper airway which had resulted from his acute tonsillitis and very swollen tonsils, the fact that he was receiving relatively high doses of morphine and breathing problems resulting in possible carbon dioxide retention. These factors together appear to have caused Keiran's death by way of fatal asphyxia.
The findings of the Coroner was that Keiran's death arose by way of misadventure and Keiran would not have died if robust action had been taken in response to obviously abnormal clinical observations.
I agree with the assessment of the Coroner, whose report I have read in detail - Keiran should not have died when he did, there were a number of systemic deficiencies that led to his death and these cannot be ignored.
Mr Speaker, I intend to ensure that all six recommendations of the Coroner's report are implemented by the Department of Health in order to prevent a tragedy of this nature affecting another family in the future.
The recommendations relate to matters regarding contacting on-call doctors, rostering arrangements for medical practitioners at Albany Regional Hospital, medical review criteria, oxygen therapy and observations of patients on patient-controlled analgesia. These recommendations extend in some cases to all hospitals in WA and I will ensure that these are implemented.
I have personally contacted Keiran's father, Mr Jim Watmore and his mother Ms Helen Soerink and apologised on behalf of the Government and the Department of Health. This apology is extended to Keiran's siblings Liam and Shae.
I make this apology unreservedly and understand that Keiran's family, in addition to losing a dear son and brother, have had to endure the distress over the past year of waiting for the outcome of the Coronial investigation.
As a father, I can only imagine the pain they must be going through knowing that Keiran's death was preventable. I offer them all my sincerest sympathy on their great loss.
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
ASSEMBLY - Extract from Hansard p7543d-7543d
DR K.D. HAMES (Dawesville . Minister for Health) [12.04 pm]: I rise to inform the house about the details of the swine flu vaccination program, which will commence in Western Australia next Wednesday. The vaccine has now arrived and is being delivered to clinics and health services throughout the state. All levels of government in Australia are committed to ensuring that we combat this new strain of influenza in the most effective way possible, and vaccination is an important part of that response. Preventing people from getting swine flu by vaccination is a priority. There is enough vaccine for everyone, so I encourage people to protect themselves and their families. I particularly urge those most at risk of severe outcomes to be vaccinated as soon as possible after the program commences. This includes pregnant women, Indigenous people and people with underlying medical conditions. Parents and guardians of infants too young to be vaccinated themselves (those under six months) are also strongly encouraged to get vaccinated early in the program.
The vaccine will primarily be available to the public from general practitioners and Aboriginal medical services across the state, and from community health clinics in rural and remote areas. In addition, the Liberal-National government is providing free community vaccination clinics for people in the metropolitan area - two north of the Swan River and two south of the river - in order to meet anticipated early demand. While the vaccine itself is free, some GPs may charge a consultation fee, most of which can be claimed on Medicare. It is expected that many doctors will bulk-bill consultations. Due to the distances involved in reaching some of the more regional and remote WA communities, it may take a little longer for the vaccine to reach people in those areas. Although the virus has been mild in most people, it has had severe effects in some. More than 800 Western Australians have been hospitalised with the virus, many needing prolonged treatment in an intensive care unit.
Hospitalisation rates have been the highest among young children. There have been more than 24 deaths in WA over winter, and more than 170 deaths across Australia, associated with pandemic flu. It is not, however, too late to gain immunity. Pandemic flu may continue to circulate in Australia in the warmer months, and could come back and affect large numbers in the 2010 Australian winter, or even earlier.
The vaccine will be given as a single dose to adults and children of 10 years and over. It is hoped that a vaccine will become available for children aged between six months and 10 years of age later in the year once information on the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine in younger children is available. For further details, people can call the pandemic flu hotline on 180-2007 or visit the Department of Health website.
Thursday, 17 September 2009
ASSEMBLY - Extract from Hansard
DR K.D. HAMES (Dawesville . Minister for Indigenous Affairs) [9.08 am]: I rise to table today the first six-monthly report of the Indigenous Implementation Board, the group established in January this year to inform the government's decision making on Indigenous issues and improve social and economic outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. The board, chaired by Lieutenant General John Sanderson, AC, has a big job to do, but this report shows that it has already made solid progress. It has engaged with key Indigenous people from across the Kimberley region as part of an initiative called the "Kimberley Conversation", and is now undertaking similar dialogues in other regions, starting in the Pilbara.
The report outlines 13 recommendations to government, including that Indigenous people be involved in target setting; state and commonwealth governments commit adequate funding to provide Indigenous translators; all tiers of government, business and non-government organisations provide an indicative assessment of the investment occurring in Indigenous affairs; and reform of the Department of Indigenous Affairs be accelerated.
I am pleased to report that the Liberal-National government has already acted upon the board's recommendation to establish and resource the Western Australian Aboriginal Advisory Council as a matter of urgency. This 12-member group was re-established in August this year to provide a direct line of communication and expert advice on specialist issues to the government, and will work in conjunction with the Indigenous Implementation Board in tackling the many challenges ahead.
The report contains a number of criticisms, which will be considered and addressed by this government. They are not recent problems that the report identifies; they are problems that have developed over a considerable period. We are getting on with the job of sorting them out. The board will spend the next six months considering and developing hard, practical proposals to assist the government in finding ways to successfully implement much-needed changes. I look forward to updating the house on its progress at the end of this period and to continue working with Lieutenant General Sanderson and the members of the board. I table the report.