❓ Ms. Davies questions the Minister for Health regarding delays in opening a short-stay unit at Karratha Health Campus and completion of Northam Hospital. The Minister attributes the Karratha delay to operational ramp-up and the Northam delay to the builder's financial difficulties.
AnsweredQoN 861Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
KARRATHA HEALTH CAMPUS
AND NORTHAM HEALTH SERVICE
861. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Minister for Health:
I
refer to the recently opened Karratha Health Campus and Northam Health Service,
both excellent projects initiated by the previous Liberal–National
government to improve health services for regional Western Australians.
(1) Is the minister
aware that the eight-bed short-stay unit at Karratha Health Campus remains
closed despite the hospital operating now for almost two months?
(2) Is the reason the unit is not
being used a lack of funding?
(3) Has there been a delay in the
expected completion date of Northam hospital; and, if so, why?
AND NORTHAM HEALTH SERVICE
861. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Minister for Health:
I
refer to the recently opened Karratha Health Campus and Northam Health Service,
both excellent projects initiated by the previous Liberal–National
government to improve health services for regional Western Australians.
(1) Is the minister
aware that the eight-bed short-stay unit at Karratha Health Campus remains
closed despite the hospital operating now for almost two months?
(2) Is the reason the unit is not
being used a lack of funding?
(3) Has there been a delay in the
expected completion date of Northam hospital; and, if so, why?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
(1)–(3) I
do not know the specific details about the eight-bed short-stay unit, although
I do know that when a new campus is moved into, in a similar vein to Perth
Children's Hospital, there is a ramp-up period, so it does not go at
100 miles an hour on day one. Karratha Health Campus has been operational for a
couple of months now, so it is probably getting towards the point at which it
can meet its full capacity. From that perspective, we can understand that those
services will come onstream as required. I can confirm that it is not a result
of any sort of funding restrictions around that and that this is simply an
operational issue. I think we can anticipate those beds coming into operation
in the very near future.
In terms of the third part of the
question, which refers to Northam hospital, I can confirm that there are delays
there. This is a result of Pindan, I think, which is the builder, facing some
financial difficulties, which requires extra oversight of the project
management. The same is being experienced, but for different reasons, at Onslow
and, I think, Narrogin. I will clarify those in the next 24 to 48 hours.
(1)–(3) I
do not know the specific details about the eight-bed short-stay unit, although
I do know that when a new campus is moved into, in a similar vein to Perth
Children's Hospital, there is a ramp-up period, so it does not go at
100 miles an hour on day one. Karratha Health Campus has been operational for a
couple of months now, so it is probably getting towards the point at which it
can meet its full capacity. From that perspective, we can understand that those
services will come onstream as required. I can confirm that it is not a result
of any sort of funding restrictions around that and that this is simply an
operational issue. I think we can anticipate those beds coming into operation
in the very near future.
In terms of the third part of the
question, which refers to Northam hospital, I can confirm that there are delays
there. This is a result of Pindan, I think, which is the builder, facing some
financial difficulties, which requires extra oversight of the project
management. The same is being experienced, but for different reasons, at Onslow
and, I think, Narrogin. I will clarify those in the next 24 to 48 hours.
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