❓ Question regarding the adequacy of paediatric beds at the new Perth Children's Hospital given the decision not to add an extra floor. The Minister assures that the current bed numbers and the paediatric implementation plan will meet demand, citing reduced patient numbers at Princess Margaret Hospital due to increased services at other hospitals.
AnsweredQoN 54Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PERTH CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL —
PAEDIATRIC IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
54. Ms A.R. MITCHELL to the Minister for
Health:
Is the minister confident that
demand for paediatric beds at the new Perth Children's Hospital will be
met given the decision not to add an extra floor?
PAEDIATRIC IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
54. Ms A.R. MITCHELL to the Minister for
Health:
Is the minister confident that
demand for paediatric beds at the new Perth Children's Hospital will be
met given the decision not to add an extra floor?
AnswerView source ↗
This government was under enormous
pressure from the opposition and from others to build an additional floor on
the Perth Children's Hospital during the design phase. We made it very
clear at that time that that was not required because moving from the 250 beds
in the current Princess Margaret Hospital up to 298 beds—a 48-bed
increase—and what we called our paediatric implementation plan would
easily cater for the numbers and the growth in demand that we expected to see
into the future. That is certainly proving to be the case at this stage. Fiona
Stanley Hospital has been open for only one year and it has seen 100 000
people; 25 000 of those were under the age of 18. As we have always said, if we
provide high-quality services closer to home, people will go to them. The
suggestion was that people would still bypass all those facilities—still
drive to Princess Margaret because they regarded that hospital as the best—but
that is not the best way to manage a very sick child. It is best to get them
seen early in a high-quality facility and get them treated. Since Fiona Stanley
Hospital opened, the number of patients presenting to Princess Margaret
Hospital has reduced by 10 per cent. Of course, back in December we opened the
St John of God Midland Public Hospital. We have seen a 25 per cent increase in
the number of children attending there. It is too soon yet to see what the full
effect of that will be on Princess Margaret Hospital, but we can already see
the gap widening and the numbers going down. Today I had the pleasure of going
out to Joondalup Private Hospital, which is the third key part of the
paediatric implementation plan to provide somewhere in the northern suburbs.
With a combination of funding of $6 million from Telethon7, $3 million from
Ramsay Health Care, and $5.8 million from the state government, we are about
halfway through building a new 37-bed facility for children in that hospital,
which is an increase from 25 beds. It looks magnificent. They are just installing
a fish tank today that will weigh four tonnes. We watched it be craned up and
lowered down into the hospital. It looks fantastic! It is going to be a great
facility.
Mr
R.H. Cook : That's why you're so interested in it; it
involves fishing!
Dr
K.D. HAMES : I can tell the member that the kids will find it as interesting
as I do.
pressure from the opposition and from others to build an additional floor on
the Perth Children's Hospital during the design phase. We made it very
clear at that time that that was not required because moving from the 250 beds
in the current Princess Margaret Hospital up to 298 beds—a 48-bed
increase—and what we called our paediatric implementation plan would
easily cater for the numbers and the growth in demand that we expected to see
into the future. That is certainly proving to be the case at this stage. Fiona
Stanley Hospital has been open for only one year and it has seen 100 000
people; 25 000 of those were under the age of 18. As we have always said, if we
provide high-quality services closer to home, people will go to them. The
suggestion was that people would still bypass all those facilities—still
drive to Princess Margaret because they regarded that hospital as the best—but
that is not the best way to manage a very sick child. It is best to get them
seen early in a high-quality facility and get them treated. Since Fiona Stanley
Hospital opened, the number of patients presenting to Princess Margaret
Hospital has reduced by 10 per cent. Of course, back in December we opened the
St John of God Midland Public Hospital. We have seen a 25 per cent increase in
the number of children attending there. It is too soon yet to see what the full
effect of that will be on Princess Margaret Hospital, but we can already see
the gap widening and the numbers going down. Today I had the pleasure of going
out to Joondalup Private Hospital, which is the third key part of the
paediatric implementation plan to provide somewhere in the northern suburbs.
With a combination of funding of $6 million from Telethon7, $3 million from
Ramsay Health Care, and $5.8 million from the state government, we are about
halfway through building a new 37-bed facility for children in that hospital,
which is an increase from 25 beds. It looks magnificent. They are just installing
a fish tank today that will weigh four tonnes. We watched it be craned up and
lowered down into the hospital. It looks fantastic! It is going to be a great
facility.
Mr
R.H. Cook : That's why you're so interested in it; it
involves fishing!
Dr
K.D. HAMES : I can tell the member that the kids will find it as interesting
as I do.
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