❓ The Minister for Health responds to a question about hospital bed capacity, highlighting recent expansions at Joondalup and planned infrastructure projects across WA.
AnsweredQoN 252Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Hospital beds
252. Mr Basil Zempilas to
the Minister for Health:
252. Mr Basil Zempilas to
the Minister for Health:
AnswerView source ↗
Thank you very much
for the question; it is well-timed because it is an opportunity to tell the
member that this morning, the Minister for Health Infrastructure and I were at
Joondalup Health Campus to open an additional 46 beds, along with new surgeries.
Of course, we were there just last week to announce funding in the budget of $24
million to open an additional 60 beds in that hospital. As I have said before in
this place, we have been looking at every way to increase the capacity of our
hospitals. We have been working on how we can make sure that we have additional
capacity in our hospital system.
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition, you have asked
the question; let the minister respond.
Ms Meredith Hammat: We have been working to make sure
we have additional capacity in our hospital system. One of the things about
that is that it is not all about hospital beds. I have spoken in this place
before about our commitment to expand our virtual emergency departments. I have
talked about the work we are doing to put in place the State Health Operations
Centre to better coordinate our work across the hospital system. Two or three weeks
ago, we were in Murdoch to sign the contract to build the new women's and
babies' hospital, which is a major piece of infrastructure and one that we are
very excited about as part of our plan for maternity services. As part of that,
as the member knows, we are delivering expanded maternity services at Osborne
Park Hospital. Since I have been the Minister for Health, I have attended the emergency
department of Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital to talk about the work that is
happening there. Of course, we are very excited to fulfil our election
commitments to expand the EDs at Midland Health Campus and Royal Perth Hospital.
We are always
working on ways to increase the capacity across our system. I also mention that
part of our focus is on increasing the capacity to remove older patients from hospitals,
which is not the best place for them, but they are there because there is no
alternative setting where they can receive appropriate care. We have been
putting a lot of work into making sure that people in our hospitals who would
be better placed getting care in an alternative setting also have access to the
beds that they need to receive care.
Member, we will keep
looking at all the things that we can do to increase not only bed capacity, but
also capacity right across the system to make sure that people get the care
they need.
for the question; it is well-timed because it is an opportunity to tell the
member that this morning, the Minister for Health Infrastructure and I were at
Joondalup Health Campus to open an additional 46 beds, along with new surgeries.
Of course, we were there just last week to announce funding in the budget of $24
million to open an additional 60 beds in that hospital. As I have said before in
this place, we have been looking at every way to increase the capacity of our
hospitals. We have been working on how we can make sure that we have additional
capacity in our hospital system.
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition, you have asked
the question; let the minister respond.
Ms Meredith Hammat: We have been working to make sure
we have additional capacity in our hospital system. One of the things about
that is that it is not all about hospital beds. I have spoken in this place
before about our commitment to expand our virtual emergency departments. I have
talked about the work we are doing to put in place the State Health Operations
Centre to better coordinate our work across the hospital system. Two or three weeks
ago, we were in Murdoch to sign the contract to build the new women's and
babies' hospital, which is a major piece of infrastructure and one that we are
very excited about as part of our plan for maternity services. As part of that,
as the member knows, we are delivering expanded maternity services at Osborne
Park Hospital. Since I have been the Minister for Health, I have attended the emergency
department of Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital to talk about the work that is
happening there. Of course, we are very excited to fulfil our election
commitments to expand the EDs at Midland Health Campus and Royal Perth Hospital.
We are always
working on ways to increase the capacity across our system. I also mention that
part of our focus is on increasing the capacity to remove older patients from hospitals,
which is not the best place for them, but they are there because there is no
alternative setting where they can receive appropriate care. We have been
putting a lot of work into making sure that people in our hospitals who would
be better placed getting care in an alternative setting also have access to the
beds that they need to receive care.
Member, we will keep
looking at all the things that we can do to increase not only bed capacity, but
also capacity right across the system to make sure that people get the care
they need.
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