A parliamentary question addresses the planned closure of 16 beds at Albany Regional Hospital, the expected savings, and the closure of the Well Women’s Clinic in Albany due to the increased availability of female GPs in the region.

AnsweredQoN 868Legislative Council
Asked
4 December 2001
Portfolio
Health

QuestionView source ↗

ALBANY HEALTH SERVICES
(1) Will 16 beds be closed at the Albany Regional Hospital starting in January 2002? (2) What savings are expected as a result of such action? (3) The Well Women’s Clinic in Albany is reported to be closing soon. Does the Department of Health run that clinic? If so, given that it is a vital service for country women, why is it closing? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1) With the completion of the new aged care facility in Albany, the opening of the new Albany Hospice and the development of other community based care options for older people, it is planned to close some beds at the Albany Regional Hospital in the new calender year. The timing of the closure will depend on the opening of the new facilities and the implementation of other programs. (2) It is understood that annual full-year savings of approximately $850 000 will be achieved. (3) The Lower Great Southern Health Service has provided a Well Women’s Clinic in the absence of a suitable number of female general practitioners in the area. However, there are now a significant number of female general practitioners in the area including one in each of the Denmark and Mt Barker communities; therefore, this service will now no longer be required. To maintain it would be an unnecessary duplication of effort and women will be well catered for through the services of the GPs in those areas.
(2) What savings are expected as a result of such action? (3) The Well Women’s Clinic in Albany is reported to be closing soon. Does the Department of Health run that clinic? If so, given that it is a vital service for country women, why is it closing? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1) With the completion of the new aged care facility in Albany, the opening of the new Albany Hospice and the development of other community based care options for older people, it is planned to close some beds at the Albany Regional Hospital in the new calender year. The timing of the closure will depend on the opening of the new facilities and the implementation of other programs. (2) It is understood that annual full-year savings of approximately $850 000 will be achieved. (3) The Lower Great Southern Health Service has provided a Well Women’s Clinic in the absence of a suitable number of female general practitioners in the area. However, there are now a significant number of female general practitioners in the area including one in each of the Denmark and Mt Barker communities; therefore, this service will now no longer be required. To maintain it would be an unnecessary duplication of effort and women will be well catered for through the services of the GPs in those areas.
(3) The Well Women’s Clinic in Albany is reported to be closing soon. Does the Department of Health run that clinic? If so, given that it is a vital service for country women, why is it closing? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1) With the completion of the new aged care facility in Albany, the opening of the new Albany Hospice and the development of other community based care options for older people, it is planned to close some beds at the Albany Regional Hospital in the new calender year. The timing of the closure will depend on the opening of the new facilities and the implementation of other programs. (2) It is understood that annual full-year savings of approximately $850 000 will be achieved. (3) The Lower Great Southern Health Service has provided a Well Women’s Clinic in the absence of a suitable number of female general practitioners in the area. However, there are now a significant number of female general practitioners in the area including one in each of the Denmark and Mt Barker communities; therefore, this service will now no longer be required. To maintain it would be an unnecessary duplication of effort and women will be well catered for through the services of the GPs in those areas.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1) With the completion of the new aged care facility in Albany, the opening of the new Albany Hospice and the development of other community based care options for older people, it is planned to close some beds at the Albany Regional Hospital in the new calender year. The timing of the closure will depend on the opening of the new facilities and the implementation of other programs. (2) It is understood that annual full-year savings of approximately $850 000 will be achieved. (3) The Lower Great Southern Health Service has provided a Well Women’s Clinic in the absence of a suitable number of female general practitioners in the area. However, there are now a significant number of female general practitioners in the area including one in each of the Denmark and Mt Barker communities; therefore, this service will now no longer be required. To maintain it would be an unnecessary duplication of effort and women will be well catered for through the services of the GPs in those areas.
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1) With the completion of the new aged care facility in Albany, the opening of the new Albany Hospice and the development of other community based care options for older people, it is planned to close some beds at the Albany Regional Hospital in the new calender year. The timing of the closure will depend on the opening of the new facilities and the implementation of other programs. (2) It is understood that annual full-year savings of approximately $850 000 will be achieved. (3) The Lower Great Southern Health Service has provided a Well Women’s Clinic in the absence of a suitable number of female general practitioners in the area. However, there are now a significant number of female general practitioners in the area including one in each of the Denmark and Mt Barker communities; therefore, this service will now no longer be required. To maintain it would be an unnecessary duplication of effort and women will be well catered for through the services of the GPs in those areas.
(1) With the completion of the new aged care facility in Albany, the opening of the new Albany Hospice and the development of other community based care options for older people, it is planned to close some beds at the Albany Regional Hospital in the new calender year. The timing of the closure will depend on the opening of the new facilities and the implementation of other programs. (2) It is understood that annual full-year savings of approximately $850 000 will be achieved. (3) The Lower Great Southern Health Service has provided a Well Women’s Clinic in the absence of a suitable number of female general practitioners in the area. However, there are now a significant number of female general practitioners in the area including one in each of the Denmark and Mt Barker communities; therefore, this service will now no longer be required. To maintain it would be an unnecessary duplication of effort and women will be well catered for through the services of the GPs in those areas.
(2) It is understood that annual full-year savings of approximately $850 000 will be achieved. (3) The Lower Great Southern Health Service has provided a Well Women’s Clinic in the absence of a suitable number of female general practitioners in the area. However, there are now a significant number of female general practitioners in the area including one in each of the Denmark and Mt Barker communities; therefore, this service will now no longer be required. To maintain it would be an unnecessary duplication of effort and women will be well catered for through the services of the GPs in those areas.
(3) The Lower Great Southern Health Service has provided a Well Women’s Clinic in the absence of a suitable number of female general practitioners in the area. However, there are now a significant number of female general practitioners in the area including one in each of the Denmark and Mt Barker communities; therefore, this service will now no longer be required. To maintain it would be an unnecessary duplication of effort and women will be well catered for through the services of the GPs in those areas.

Explore WA Government Data

Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.

Explore more