❓ The Minister for Health provides an update on the Peel Health Campus redevelopment, highlighting the government's commitment to public healthcare and contrasting it with the opposition's actions. The update details progress on forward works, expansion plans, and new services, while also criticising the federal Liberals' approach to eating disorder services.
AnsweredQoN 598Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PEEL HEALTH CAMPUS
598. Mr H.T. JONES to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
ongoing commitment to delivering world-class public health care in Western Australia.
Can the minister update the house on the redevelopment of Peel Health Campus,
and advise the house whether she is aware of any alternative proposals to
deliver healthcare services in the Peel region?
598. Mr H.T. JONES to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
ongoing commitment to delivering world-class public health care in Western Australia.
Can the minister update the house on the redevelopment of Peel Health Campus,
and advise the house whether she is aware of any alternative proposals to
deliver healthcare services in the Peel region?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Darling Range
for his question. As the Premier outlined in an answer to a previous question, it is only WA Labor that is fully committed to the
public health system. It is this government that returned Peel Health
Campus to public hands. It is finally a publicly run hospital after decades of
management by the private sector. It has long been the ambition of the
community in the Peel–Mandurah area to have a fully publicly run
hospital at Peel, and we have now realised that and delivered that vision for
them.
I am very pleased that as part of
that handover to the public sector we will see an increase in staffing at the
hospital. We will see those staff paid more,
get better entitlements and with permanent jobs. We are also in-sourcing a range of other services like pharmacy. Previously, as outlined by the member
for Dawesville, public patients were billed for their pharmacy needs; whereas in
a public hospital, people take their medications home and they do not get a bill.
It is all part of the service of the public health system. We will continue
looking at some of the external services and
what else may need to come in, but this is an outstanding delivery for that
community. It is also the major enabler for the next stage of Peel
Health Campus' life—that is, a redevelopment and an expansion.
It has been too small for too long and is not meeting the needs and demand of
the growing community down in the Peel–Mandurah area.
In order to deliver a publicly run
hospital and a redevelopment, we need to be running the hospital. Now that we
have done the complex work of transitioning the hospital into public hands, I am
pleased to advise the house that just three weeks after bringing it into public
hands, the redevelopment has reached a new milestone with tenders for forward
works being released to market. The forward works will be the enabler for the
broader redevelopment that will include more parking for staff and public,
traffic access, the extension of the ring-road and a new central energy plant
shell in preparation for really important Western Power upgrades and the
relocation of the central energy plant. We need to expand the central energy
plant to essentially power a much bigger hospital. It is a really key enabler
for that redevelopment.
The redevelopment will
deliver a new mental health emergency centre, another operating theatre, 60 more
inpatient beds, 15 palliative care hospice beds, 12 chemotherapy places,
more outpatient services and a new build of medical imaging services, along
with an expanded and reconfigured emergency department and the expansion of the
day procedure unit. The tender for those forward works will close on 8 October.
It is a huge opportunity for local contractors in that region.
This is on top of the new community
mental health facility in Peel that is undergoing refurbishment. It will also
include the community eating disorder service that is due to open in 2025. It
will be a spoke of the existing service that is run out of Cockburn through the
Cockburn clinic. It will have premises in Peel to be able to outreach into the
Peel region. We know that that is a growing area of demand. This is in complete
contrast to the federal Liberals who made a sham commitment of $4 million for a
residential eating disorder facility without any consultation with the state
government, no costing and no ability to deliver it. We all know that in Western
Australia, $4 million will barely buy you a car park; it will certainly not buy
you a residential eating disorder facility.
Unlike
the Leader of the Liberal Party, who wilfully ignores the advice of experts, we
know that Peel Health Campus will deliver outstanding care in a modernised
facility—only delivered under WA Labor.
for his question. As the Premier outlined in an answer to a previous question, it is only WA Labor that is fully committed to the
public health system. It is this government that returned Peel Health
Campus to public hands. It is finally a publicly run hospital after decades of
management by the private sector. It has long been the ambition of the
community in the Peel–Mandurah area to have a fully publicly run
hospital at Peel, and we have now realised that and delivered that vision for
them.
I am very pleased that as part of
that handover to the public sector we will see an increase in staffing at the
hospital. We will see those staff paid more,
get better entitlements and with permanent jobs. We are also in-sourcing a range of other services like pharmacy. Previously, as outlined by the member
for Dawesville, public patients were billed for their pharmacy needs; whereas in
a public hospital, people take their medications home and they do not get a bill.
It is all part of the service of the public health system. We will continue
looking at some of the external services and
what else may need to come in, but this is an outstanding delivery for that
community. It is also the major enabler for the next stage of Peel
Health Campus' life—that is, a redevelopment and an expansion.
It has been too small for too long and is not meeting the needs and demand of
the growing community down in the Peel–Mandurah area.
In order to deliver a publicly run
hospital and a redevelopment, we need to be running the hospital. Now that we
have done the complex work of transitioning the hospital into public hands, I am
pleased to advise the house that just three weeks after bringing it into public
hands, the redevelopment has reached a new milestone with tenders for forward
works being released to market. The forward works will be the enabler for the
broader redevelopment that will include more parking for staff and public,
traffic access, the extension of the ring-road and a new central energy plant
shell in preparation for really important Western Power upgrades and the
relocation of the central energy plant. We need to expand the central energy
plant to essentially power a much bigger hospital. It is a really key enabler
for that redevelopment.
The redevelopment will
deliver a new mental health emergency centre, another operating theatre, 60 more
inpatient beds, 15 palliative care hospice beds, 12 chemotherapy places,
more outpatient services and a new build of medical imaging services, along
with an expanded and reconfigured emergency department and the expansion of the
day procedure unit. The tender for those forward works will close on 8 October.
It is a huge opportunity for local contractors in that region.
This is on top of the new community
mental health facility in Peel that is undergoing refurbishment. It will also
include the community eating disorder service that is due to open in 2025. It
will be a spoke of the existing service that is run out of Cockburn through the
Cockburn clinic. It will have premises in Peel to be able to outreach into the
Peel region. We know that that is a growing area of demand. This is in complete
contrast to the federal Liberals who made a sham commitment of $4 million for a
residential eating disorder facility without any consultation with the state
government, no costing and no ability to deliver it. We all know that in Western
Australia, $4 million will barely buy you a car park; it will certainly not buy
you a residential eating disorder facility.
Unlike
the Leader of the Liberal Party, who wilfully ignores the advice of experts, we
know that Peel Health Campus will deliver outstanding care in a modernised
facility—only delivered under WA Labor.
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