❓ Opposition questions the Minister for Health about the decision to relocate the women's and babies' hospital, citing safety concerns and lack of clinical consultation. The Minister defends the decision, highlighting the unsuitability of the original site and the benefits of co-location with Fiona Stanley Hospital.
AnsweredQoN 761Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WOMEN'S AND BABIES' HOSPITAL —
RELOCATION
761. Ms L. METTAM to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the minister's
statement this morning that ''Patient safety is always the priority and
as a government we must consider the needs of all patients.''
If patient safety is a priority,
why did the minister make the decision to move the women's and babies'
hospital with no clinical consultation,
especially when the expert advice highlighted in the leaked Child and
Adolescent Health Service report states that it poses an unacceptable
clinical risk to women and babies, particularly neonates?
RELOCATION
761. Ms L. METTAM to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the minister's
statement this morning that ''Patient safety is always the priority and
as a government we must consider the needs of all patients.''
If patient safety is a priority,
why did the minister make the decision to move the women's and babies'
hospital with no clinical consultation,
especially when the expert advice highlighted in the leaked Child and
Adolescent Health Service report states that it poses an unacceptable
clinical risk to women and babies, particularly neonates?
AnswerView source ↗
I
have been through the very legitimate reasons in enormous detail many, many
times in this place and in the public arena. In fact, we went to the extent of
tabling the business case that the government developed for the project for the
women's and newborns' hospital on the Queen Elizabeth II
Medical Centre site. I do not think any government before has tabled a business
case of that detail and transparency about why we could not build a hospital
there. When it comes to building hospitals and infrastructure projects, we have
to consult infrastructure experts, and that was the business case process that
the government went through. I acknowledge that there are some concerns from
clinicians about the relocation. A person does not need to be an infrastructure
expert to know that hospital could not really be built on the QEII site; they
just need to try to find a parking bay there to know how difficult and
constrained that site already is. There were so many risks in that business
case, it would have been irresponsible to continue down that path. There is
only one location in the metropolitan area where the hospital can go for it to
be co-located with other services. To be clear: there is no co-location now.
Are those who say that not having co-location is dangerous saying the services
are dangerous now? Is that what the member for Vasse is saying? There is no co-location
now.
Dr D.J. Honey : It is nearby.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Cottesloe, order, please!
Ms A. SANDERSON : There are a
range of views. There are neonatologists at the Fiona Stanley Hospital, St John
of God, Joondalup Health Campus, the Child and Adolescent Health Service, and
King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women, and there are a range of views on the
risks of this. Has the Leader of the Liberal Party done her due diligence and
sought a range of views or is she just speaking to one group of clinicians?
Dr J. Krishnan interjected.
Ms A. SANDERSON : Yes.
There are many expert views that
support this decision and the co-location with Fiona Stanley Hospital.
We are going through a consultation
process. Everyone knows that King Edward Memorial Hospital is 100 years old. We
do not have time on our side. There is only one place the hospital can be built
in the metropolitan area and that place will give regional women better access
and it will give women better access to intensive care units when they need
them, which they do not currently have now. Neonatology services are run at
Fiona Stanley Hospital.
I urge everyone to be cautious with
their language not to undermine confidence in other services. That is what some
of this language does—it undermines the public confidence in the expert
care that women and babies get at Fiona
Stanley Hospital. That is what the Leader of the Liberal Party is doing. She is
undermining the confidence in the
expert care at St John of God, Joondalup Health Campus and Fiona Stanley. I can
tell members that those experts are feeling very maligned by some of the
commentary. We need to build a women's and newborns' hospital,
and we are committed to doing that, and only
this government is committed to doing it. It is not safe and it is not possible to build the hospital appropriately on the QEII site. We are working with
clinicians. There is a consultation process, and I am seeking sensible
solutions to some of the risks and concerns that have been raised.
have been through the very legitimate reasons in enormous detail many, many
times in this place and in the public arena. In fact, we went to the extent of
tabling the business case that the government developed for the project for the
women's and newborns' hospital on the Queen Elizabeth II
Medical Centre site. I do not think any government before has tabled a business
case of that detail and transparency about why we could not build a hospital
there. When it comes to building hospitals and infrastructure projects, we have
to consult infrastructure experts, and that was the business case process that
the government went through. I acknowledge that there are some concerns from
clinicians about the relocation. A person does not need to be an infrastructure
expert to know that hospital could not really be built on the QEII site; they
just need to try to find a parking bay there to know how difficult and
constrained that site already is. There were so many risks in that business
case, it would have been irresponsible to continue down that path. There is
only one location in the metropolitan area where the hospital can go for it to
be co-located with other services. To be clear: there is no co-location now.
Are those who say that not having co-location is dangerous saying the services
are dangerous now? Is that what the member for Vasse is saying? There is no co-location
now.
Dr D.J. Honey : It is nearby.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Cottesloe, order, please!
Ms A. SANDERSON : There are a
range of views. There are neonatologists at the Fiona Stanley Hospital, St John
of God, Joondalup Health Campus, the Child and Adolescent Health Service, and
King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women, and there are a range of views on the
risks of this. Has the Leader of the Liberal Party done her due diligence and
sought a range of views or is she just speaking to one group of clinicians?
Dr J. Krishnan interjected.
Ms A. SANDERSON : Yes.
There are many expert views that
support this decision and the co-location with Fiona Stanley Hospital.
We are going through a consultation
process. Everyone knows that King Edward Memorial Hospital is 100 years old. We
do not have time on our side. There is only one place the hospital can be built
in the metropolitan area and that place will give regional women better access
and it will give women better access to intensive care units when they need
them, which they do not currently have now. Neonatology services are run at
Fiona Stanley Hospital.
I urge everyone to be cautious with
their language not to undermine confidence in other services. That is what some
of this language does—it undermines the public confidence in the expert
care that women and babies get at Fiona
Stanley Hospital. That is what the Leader of the Liberal Party is doing. She is
undermining the confidence in the
expert care at St John of God, Joondalup Health Campus and Fiona Stanley. I can
tell members that those experts are feeling very maligned by some of the
commentary. We need to build a women's and newborns' hospital,
and we are committed to doing that, and only
this government is committed to doing it. It is not safe and it is not possible to build the hospital appropriately on the QEII site. We are working with
clinicians. There is a consultation process, and I am seeking sensible
solutions to some of the risks and concerns that have been raised.
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