❓ Mrs. Clarke questions the Minister for Health on investments in Peel Health Campus, highlighting previous neglect. The Minister details new funding for upgrades and criticizes the opposition's past inaction.
AnsweredQoN 685Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PEEL HEALTH CAMPUS
685. Mrs R.M.J. CLARKE to the Minister for Health:
Mr Speaker —
The SPEAKER : Member for
Murray–Wellington, happy birthday!
Mrs R.M.J. CLARKE : Thank you!
I refer to the Peel Health Campus,
which the previous Liberal–National government neglected for eight and
a half years, providing no funding for it. Can the minister update the house on
how the McGowan Labor government is putting patients first across the Peel
region and is now investing in the hospital, reversing the eight and a half
years of neglect?
685. Mrs R.M.J. CLARKE to the Minister for Health:
Mr Speaker —
The SPEAKER : Member for
Murray–Wellington, happy birthday!
Mrs R.M.J. CLARKE : Thank you!
I refer to the Peel Health Campus,
which the previous Liberal–National government neglected for eight and
a half years, providing no funding for it. Can the minister update the house on
how the McGowan Labor government is putting patients first across the Peel
region and is now investing in the hospital, reversing the eight and a half
years of neglect?
AnswerView source ↗
I am very happy to answer that
question. I thank the member for Murray–Wellington, who has been a tireless
campaigner for the people of her electorate.
Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup : It took him
so long, Mr Speaker! It took him so long!
The SPEAKER : It did not take
long for you to be called to order for the first time, member for Dawesville.
Mr R.H. COOK : I suggest the
member for Dawesville just stay quiet today.
I was delighted to be at Peel Health
Campus today to announce some immediate funding to meet the immediate needs of
patients in the Peel and Mandurah region. Today, I announced a $5 million
investment in the Peel Health Campus to redesign and upgrade the emergency
department at that hospital. This comes on top of the $4.4 million that we
already committed in the 2018–19 budget, which will see an upgrade of
the car parking facilities and security systems for patients and staff at the
hospital. This is an important announcement because it will mean we have eight
extra short-stay beds for the emergency department. We will also be improving
the triage systems through a reconfiguration of the existing triage area. There
will be a redesign and a refurbishment of the emergency department's
waiting room and the addition, as I said, of eight beds in the short-stay unit
to further streamline patient flow in the emergency department. They say that
there is nothing like seeing to believe, and the member for Mandurah and I went
to Peel Health Campus a few months ago to look for ourselves at how the emergency
department was coping with the flow of patients in that area. It was a Friday
night. We witnessed a range of staff working tirelessly to make sure they could
work as best they could within those facilities to meet the needs of patients
who came to that hospital. In particular, we were struck by the substandard
conditions in which the patients and their families had to wait in the
emergency department. I am very pleased we have been able to identify these
resources to make sure we can bring them to bear as soon as possible to make it
happen.
There is a reason that this expenditure is important, as the
member for Murray–Wellington pointed out. The last time that we had any
investment at all of a significant nature in the Peel Health Campus was in 2008.
It was a $3 million investment in the emergency department back then. I am
drawn to a joint media statement from the Minister for Health at the time, Jim
McGinty, and a very young man purportedly to be David Templeman, Minister for
the Environment; Climate Change; and Peel.
Mr D.A. Templeman : Times have been tough on me, as you
can see!
Mr R.H. COOK : I have to be honest with members; he has
aged somewhat! That is because it has been so long since there was a significant
piece of investment in the Peel Health Campus. Back in 2008, it was $3 million.
There was nothing over the eight and a half years that the Barnett government
was in place. The member for Dawesville is extraordinary in the way that he
would seek to criticise today's announcement. No sooner had we
mentioned the new investment in this campus at a stakeholder function we held
to inform the sustainable health review, than the member for Dawesville was out
there tweeting away and posting a video. He said in the video, ''The
concern I have is that it's just a good start''! He said that
about almost $10 million worth of investment in the hospital. The member for
Dawesville—who, as a senior staff member in the Barnett government,
oversaw no investment at all in this hospital—says that his concern —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Wanneroo, I call you to order
for the first time.
Mr R.H. COOK : After no investment from the Barnett
government, he said that his concern was that it was just a good start! I will
tell the member what is a good start: the re-election of a Labor government in Western
Australia, so we can put patients first.
question. I thank the member for Murray–Wellington, who has been a tireless
campaigner for the people of her electorate.
Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup : It took him
so long, Mr Speaker! It took him so long!
The SPEAKER : It did not take
long for you to be called to order for the first time, member for Dawesville.
Mr R.H. COOK : I suggest the
member for Dawesville just stay quiet today.
I was delighted to be at Peel Health
Campus today to announce some immediate funding to meet the immediate needs of
patients in the Peel and Mandurah region. Today, I announced a $5 million
investment in the Peel Health Campus to redesign and upgrade the emergency
department at that hospital. This comes on top of the $4.4 million that we
already committed in the 2018–19 budget, which will see an upgrade of
the car parking facilities and security systems for patients and staff at the
hospital. This is an important announcement because it will mean we have eight
extra short-stay beds for the emergency department. We will also be improving
the triage systems through a reconfiguration of the existing triage area. There
will be a redesign and a refurbishment of the emergency department's
waiting room and the addition, as I said, of eight beds in the short-stay unit
to further streamline patient flow in the emergency department. They say that
there is nothing like seeing to believe, and the member for Mandurah and I went
to Peel Health Campus a few months ago to look for ourselves at how the emergency
department was coping with the flow of patients in that area. It was a Friday
night. We witnessed a range of staff working tirelessly to make sure they could
work as best they could within those facilities to meet the needs of patients
who came to that hospital. In particular, we were struck by the substandard
conditions in which the patients and their families had to wait in the
emergency department. I am very pleased we have been able to identify these
resources to make sure we can bring them to bear as soon as possible to make it
happen.
There is a reason that this expenditure is important, as the
member for Murray–Wellington pointed out. The last time that we had any
investment at all of a significant nature in the Peel Health Campus was in 2008.
It was a $3 million investment in the emergency department back then. I am
drawn to a joint media statement from the Minister for Health at the time, Jim
McGinty, and a very young man purportedly to be David Templeman, Minister for
the Environment; Climate Change; and Peel.
Mr D.A. Templeman : Times have been tough on me, as you
can see!
Mr R.H. COOK : I have to be honest with members; he has
aged somewhat! That is because it has been so long since there was a significant
piece of investment in the Peel Health Campus. Back in 2008, it was $3 million.
There was nothing over the eight and a half years that the Barnett government
was in place. The member for Dawesville is extraordinary in the way that he
would seek to criticise today's announcement. No sooner had we
mentioned the new investment in this campus at a stakeholder function we held
to inform the sustainable health review, than the member for Dawesville was out
there tweeting away and posting a video. He said in the video, ''The
concern I have is that it's just a good start''! He said that
about almost $10 million worth of investment in the hospital. The member for
Dawesville—who, as a senior staff member in the Barnett government,
oversaw no investment at all in this hospital—says that his concern —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Wanneroo, I call you to order
for the first time.
Mr R.H. COOK : After no investment from the Barnett
government, he said that his concern was that it was just a good start! I will
tell the member what is a good start: the re-election of a Labor government in Western
Australia, so we can put patients first.
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