WA Liberal leader launches blistering attack on incoming Premier Roger Cook’s ‘failed’ health minister legacy

WA Liberal Leader Libby Mettam has attacked the legacy of WA’s next Premier Roger Cook as “a failed health minister”, who was snubbed by his own union and not trusted to be Treasurer. Ms Mettam has called on Mr Cook to urgently prioritise the troubled health system as ambulance ramping at State emergency departments jumped more than 38 per cent in May. WA ambulances spent more than 5090 hours stuck outside hospitals last month — compared to 3677 hours in April. “We clocked over 5000 hours of ambulance ramping, which is about five times what Roger Cook had described as a ‘horror story’ when he was in opposition,” she said. “The Minister for special events and concerts can no longer turn a blind eye to these issues now he has taken on the role of Premier. “Roger Cook had promised to address ambulance ramping as a priority and failed as health minister.” It comes after more than 66,000 hours were recorded in 2022, which marked the worst annual ramping figure ever. Scathing of his reputation after being “booted” from the portfolio for poor performance, Ms Mettam said health suffered under the soon-to-be 31st Premier’s watch. She called on Mr Cook immediately establish a dedicated supernumerary resuscitation team for Perth Children’s Hospital emergency department — a vow made after Aishwarya Ashwath’s April 2021 death after the seven-year-old waiting nearly two hours for treatment. The specialist team — which would end the practice of pulling nurses and doctors away from the ED in the event of an emergency resuscitation — was committed to when Mr Cook was in the portfolio. PCH was also expected to implement 1:3 nurse-to-patient ratios by winter, a promise Australian Nursing Federation boss Janet Reah claimed hasn’t been reached. In Budget Estimates last week, however, current Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said a recent audit had revealed the facility was already meeting 1:2 to 1:3 per day. Ms Mettam said Mr Cook needed to act quickly to improve nurse-to-patient ratios. “The McGowan Government clearly failed in this area as the incoming premier Roger Cook now must address this as a priority,” she said. “He can no longer turn a blind eye to these issues which are actually putting patients’ lives at risk.” Addressing his history in the health portfolio at a press conference on Wednesday, Mr Cook said he accepted that West Australians would judge on the Government’s “actions and merits”. “I think the public will judge us on our actions and our merits, and they’ve got to know me over the period of time that I’ve been the Deputy Premier,” he said. Mr Cook declined to comment on Friday. Asked if he accepted, he left a substantial mess for Ms Sanderson to clean up when he announced QEII as the new site for the State’s new women’s and babies’ hospital when he was minister, Mr Cook said his decision was “based on the best possible advice” at the time. Ms Sanderson in April announced the plans for the future maternity facility had been moved to a Murdoch site near Fiona Stanley Hospital. “I commend Minister Sanderson and the Premier for making the decisions they did,” Mr Cook said.