❓ Mr Cook questions the capacity of the new children's hospital, particularly regarding oncology services and future population growth. The Minister refers to the Reid review, expansion of peripheral hospitals, and ongoing review of population projections.
AnsweredQoN 219Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
NEW CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL — CAPACITY
219. Mr R.H. COOK to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the capacity of the new children's
hospital, with an estimated 274 beds, barely more than at Princess Margaret
Hospital for Children and Bentley Hospital.
(1) If nine
extra beds are to be dedicated to cancer services, what other crucial areas
will see a reduction in the number of beds available to them?
(2) With a
significantly growing population, will the minister expand the new hospital to
increase the number of beds beyond 274?
(3) What
population projections were done by the Department of Health in determining the
necessary number of beds for the hospital?
219. Mr R.H. COOK to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the capacity of the new children's
hospital, with an estimated 274 beds, barely more than at Princess Margaret
Hospital for Children and Bentley Hospital.
(1) If nine
extra beds are to be dedicated to cancer services, what other crucial areas
will see a reduction in the number of beds available to them?
(2) With a
significantly growing population, will the minister expand the new hospital to
increase the number of beds beyond 274?
(3) What
population projections were done by the Department of Health in determining the
necessary number of beds for the hospital?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3)
That is a very good question. I refer the member back to the Reid review and
its recommendations, which review was initiated by the previous Labor
government and strongly supported by the member and by me. The member may
recall that the recommended number of beds required for Princess Margaret
Hospital at that time was 180. Why was it 180? When we attacked the former
minister at the time on why there would be so few beds, he explained it in this
way: the children's hospital is a tertiary hospital for children. It
covers a large number of secondary patients, because, as we all know, if
parents have a child who is terribly sick, they want to get the very best of
care, so they go straight to the children's hospital. What the Reid
review recommended, and what this government will do in line with that, was to
expand the peripheral ring of hospitals. So we have significantly expanded the
number of beds at Fiona Stanley Hospital. It will still be a tertiary hospital,
but it will largely be providing secondary care for children.
There are paediatric beds at
Joondalup Health Campus already, and that number is likely to expand. The
Midland hospital will also provide a significant number of secondary beds. That
will take a lot of the pressure away from the new children's hospital
and the patients who go there for secondary care, allowing that hospital to
concentrate much more on tertiary care. As the Deputy Leader of the Opposition
said, there are more than 270 beds in this hospital compared with what was
proposed, which was 180. That did not include —
Mr R.H. Cook : That
was almost a decade ago.
Dr K.D. HAMES : I
know, but that did not include renal chairs, I might add. It is a significant
expansion and takes into account that all these people will go to Fiona Stanley
Hospital, Joondalup and Midland to get care for their children who do not need
tertiary hospital care. Having said that, we had population growth projections
done for what was estimated to be required at the children's hospital.
That has been done but, once again, in view of the issues that we are having
with the oncology ward, I have got them to go back and double-check those
projections to make sure that we have those bed numbers right, and they are
doing that right now. The current hospital has 20 oncology beds plus four of
what we call ''swing beds'' within the hospital that can be used
by oncology patients if they are really needed. Usually only two of those are
used. Plus the hospital has eight chairs at the front for the day cases that
come in for cancer services. The new hospital will have 24 dedicated oncology
beds, which is an increase of only four, but there will be an additional eight
or nine swing beds plus the chairs for the day cases that come in.
Mr
R.H. Cook : Are they coming out of excess capacity?
Dr
K.D. HAMES : There is a whole wing. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition
really needs to see the design. It is like two boomerangs next to each other.
One boomerang will have the 24 beds that cover the oncology ward and just
across the other side of the nurses' station will be another 24 beds
that will all be for either the future expansion or to be used as swing beds.
When there is more demand in one area such as surgery, for example, those swing
beds can be used.
Mr
R.H. Cook : There are only three swing beds.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : I am talking about the new hospital. In the second section
there will be 24 beds. Some of those will be dedicated and some will be swing
beds. I am suggesting that the hospital look at those to see whether they can
become additional dedicated oncology beds if required. The hospital is doing
the sums and looking at the other areas to see whether that would have another
effect. Remember, the hospital is being built for future growth with extra
space. The hospital is looking to the future to see whether that is enough to
meet future demands and at the same time it is looking at whether additional
space might be required while we are constructing the hospital.
That is a very good question. I refer the member back to the Reid review and
its recommendations, which review was initiated by the previous Labor
government and strongly supported by the member and by me. The member may
recall that the recommended number of beds required for Princess Margaret
Hospital at that time was 180. Why was it 180? When we attacked the former
minister at the time on why there would be so few beds, he explained it in this
way: the children's hospital is a tertiary hospital for children. It
covers a large number of secondary patients, because, as we all know, if
parents have a child who is terribly sick, they want to get the very best of
care, so they go straight to the children's hospital. What the Reid
review recommended, and what this government will do in line with that, was to
expand the peripheral ring of hospitals. So we have significantly expanded the
number of beds at Fiona Stanley Hospital. It will still be a tertiary hospital,
but it will largely be providing secondary care for children.
There are paediatric beds at
Joondalup Health Campus already, and that number is likely to expand. The
Midland hospital will also provide a significant number of secondary beds. That
will take a lot of the pressure away from the new children's hospital
and the patients who go there for secondary care, allowing that hospital to
concentrate much more on tertiary care. As the Deputy Leader of the Opposition
said, there are more than 270 beds in this hospital compared with what was
proposed, which was 180. That did not include —
Mr R.H. Cook : That
was almost a decade ago.
Dr K.D. HAMES : I
know, but that did not include renal chairs, I might add. It is a significant
expansion and takes into account that all these people will go to Fiona Stanley
Hospital, Joondalup and Midland to get care for their children who do not need
tertiary hospital care. Having said that, we had population growth projections
done for what was estimated to be required at the children's hospital.
That has been done but, once again, in view of the issues that we are having
with the oncology ward, I have got them to go back and double-check those
projections to make sure that we have those bed numbers right, and they are
doing that right now. The current hospital has 20 oncology beds plus four of
what we call ''swing beds'' within the hospital that can be used
by oncology patients if they are really needed. Usually only two of those are
used. Plus the hospital has eight chairs at the front for the day cases that
come in for cancer services. The new hospital will have 24 dedicated oncology
beds, which is an increase of only four, but there will be an additional eight
or nine swing beds plus the chairs for the day cases that come in.
Mr
R.H. Cook : Are they coming out of excess capacity?
Dr
K.D. HAMES : There is a whole wing. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition
really needs to see the design. It is like two boomerangs next to each other.
One boomerang will have the 24 beds that cover the oncology ward and just
across the other side of the nurses' station will be another 24 beds
that will all be for either the future expansion or to be used as swing beds.
When there is more demand in one area such as surgery, for example, those swing
beds can be used.
Mr
R.H. Cook : There are only three swing beds.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : I am talking about the new hospital. In the second section
there will be 24 beds. Some of those will be dedicated and some will be swing
beds. I am suggesting that the hospital look at those to see whether they can
become additional dedicated oncology beds if required. The hospital is doing
the sums and looking at the other areas to see whether that would have another
effect. Remember, the hospital is being built for future growth with extra
space. The hospital is looking to the future to see whether that is enough to
meet future demands and at the same time it is looking at whether additional
space might be required while we are constructing the hospital.
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