❓ Ms. Mettam questions the Minister for Health about upgrades to King Edward Memorial Hospital and its planned closure following the opening of the new women's and babies' hospital. The Minister confirms ongoing works to maintain standards, highlights the government's commitment to women's health, and avoids committing to a closure date.
AnsweredQoN 59Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
KING EDWARD MEMORIAL HOSPITAL FOR WOMEN —
OPERATING THEATRES
59. Ms L. METTAM to the Minister for Health:
I refer to King Edward Memorial
Hospital for Women.
(1) Is the government planning or undertaking
works to build or expand operating theatres at this site?
(2) What is the cost of the proposed upgrade?
(3) What is
the planned closure date for King Edward Memorial Hospital following the
opening of the new women's and babies' hospital?
OPERATING THEATRES
59. Ms L. METTAM to the Minister for Health:
I refer to King Edward Memorial
Hospital for Women.
(1) Is the government planning or undertaking
works to build or expand operating theatres at this site?
(2) What is the cost of the proposed upgrade?
(3) What is
the planned closure date for King Edward Memorial Hospital following the
opening of the new women's and babies' hospital?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3)
Some of those questions I can answer; others, in terms of the cost of the
upgrades and works that are going on at King Edward Memorial Hospital for
Women, I would direct the member to put on notice. To provide the member some
facts, King Eddy's delivers around 5 000 babies a year. There are 5 000
babies a year born at King Eddy's, so every now and then we need to
make sure that all those facilities are fit for purpose for those women. Even
whilst we are in the process of planning and building the new women's
and babies' hospital, we are not going to let King Edward Memorial
Hospital fall in a heap or lose its accreditation. It is still required to be
accredited as a health facility; therefore, there are works that need to be
done. These were planned works for the theatres. This is no indication of a time
line for the women's and newborns'
hospital; this is an indication of the commitment that this government has to
delivering the best possible maternity care at our state's
primary birthing place and making sure that those 5 000 babies and 5 000
families have the best facilities whilst we are planning for the future.
As the member well knows, there is
not a date for closure, because until we have a date for opening the new
hospital and a tender for the new hospital, we will not be doing that. We will
not be falling into the same traps that the
former government fell into in the commissioning of Fiona Stanley and Perth
Children's Hospitals. We are learning those lessons. I regularly
pick up the report, led by my cabinet colleague the Minister for Education,
about all the mistakes made by the previous government, and a list of what not
to do when building a hospital. It is very helpful.
We are absolutely so committed to
the new women's and newborns' hospital that we have put $1.7 billion
in the budget for that hospital. We have selected a site for that hospital; it
will be on the QEII campus. It will also have access to Perth Children's
Hospital so that those women who have babies who need care at Perth Children's
Hospital will not have so far to go. There will be a lot of shared services and
support for that hospital. This is a really
exciting development for women in Western Australia. There is no question that King Edward is getting towards the end of its life, but it is my
responsibility as Minister for Health, and this government's
responsibility, to ensure that the women of Western Australia have the best
possible facilities right to the end of that hospital's life.
Some of those questions I can answer; others, in terms of the cost of the
upgrades and works that are going on at King Edward Memorial Hospital for
Women, I would direct the member to put on notice. To provide the member some
facts, King Eddy's delivers around 5 000 babies a year. There are 5 000
babies a year born at King Eddy's, so every now and then we need to
make sure that all those facilities are fit for purpose for those women. Even
whilst we are in the process of planning and building the new women's
and babies' hospital, we are not going to let King Edward Memorial
Hospital fall in a heap or lose its accreditation. It is still required to be
accredited as a health facility; therefore, there are works that need to be
done. These were planned works for the theatres. This is no indication of a time
line for the women's and newborns'
hospital; this is an indication of the commitment that this government has to
delivering the best possible maternity care at our state's
primary birthing place and making sure that those 5 000 babies and 5 000
families have the best facilities whilst we are planning for the future.
As the member well knows, there is
not a date for closure, because until we have a date for opening the new
hospital and a tender for the new hospital, we will not be doing that. We will
not be falling into the same traps that the
former government fell into in the commissioning of Fiona Stanley and Perth
Children's Hospitals. We are learning those lessons. I regularly
pick up the report, led by my cabinet colleague the Minister for Education,
about all the mistakes made by the previous government, and a list of what not
to do when building a hospital. It is very helpful.
We are absolutely so committed to
the new women's and newborns' hospital that we have put $1.7 billion
in the budget for that hospital. We have selected a site for that hospital; it
will be on the QEII campus. It will also have access to Perth Children's
Hospital so that those women who have babies who need care at Perth Children's
Hospital will not have so far to go. There will be a lot of shared services and
support for that hospital. This is a really
exciting development for women in Western Australia. There is no question that King Edward is getting towards the end of its life, but it is my
responsibility as Minister for Health, and this government's
responsibility, to ensure that the women of Western Australia have the best
possible facilities right to the end of that hospital's life.
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