Mr. O'Gorman questions whether the Minister's policies have delayed a tertiary hospital in the northern suburbs. Dr. Hames responds by questioning the benefits of a tertiary hospital for the local member's constituents, arguing it would draw resources from other regions.

AnsweredQoN 881Legislative Assembly
Asked
1 December 2011
Portfolio
Health

QuestionView source ↗

CARDIOTHORACIC SERVICES — NORTHERN SUBURBS
I ask a supplementary question. Is it not the case that the policies of the minister and his government have delayed a tertiary hospital in the northern suburbs? Dr K.D. HAMES

AnswerView source ↗

That question was obviously asked before I gave my answer. We should think about tertiary hospitals and what they do. Is it in the member’s best interests as a local member to have a full tertiary hospital in that region? He should ask himself that question very carefully. I will tell the member what the difference is between everything that Joondalup hospital will have the capacity to do and a tertiary hospital. The only difference is that it will have to take patients from all over Western Australia. It will not just take all the patients from the area surrounding it doing all the procedures that it is currently able to do. As a tertiary hospital, it will have to take patients from my electorate, from Kalgoorlie, from the north and everywhere. The member’s patients will be missing out by other people using that service.
Dr K.D. HAMES replied: That question was obviously asked before I gave my answer. We should think about tertiary hospitals and what they do. Is it in the member’s best interests as a local member to have a full tertiary hospital in that region? He should ask himself that question very carefully. I will tell the member what the difference is between everything that Joondalup hospital will have the capacity to do and a tertiary hospital. The only difference is that it will have to take patients from all over Western Australia. It will not just take all the patients from the area surrounding it doing all the procedures that it is currently able to do. As a tertiary hospital, it will have to take patients from my electorate, from Kalgoorlie, from the north and everywhere. The member’s patients will be missing out by other people using that service.
That question was obviously asked before I gave my answer. We should think about tertiary hospitals and what they do. Is it in the member’s best interests as a local member to have a full tertiary hospital in that region? He should ask himself that question very carefully. I will tell the member what the difference is between everything that Joondalup hospital will have the capacity to do and a tertiary hospital. The only difference is that it will have to take patients from all over Western Australia. It will not just take all the patients from the area surrounding it doing all the procedures that it is currently able to do. As a tertiary hospital, it will have to take patients from my electorate, from Kalgoorlie, from the north and everywhere. The member’s patients will be missing out by other people using that service.

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