❓ Mr. Cook questions the Minister for Health regarding the closure of children's surgical services at Bentley Hospital, alleging a stealth closure of the entire hospital. The Minister denies feeling humiliated and claims paediatric surgery is rarely performed there.
AnsweredQoN 275Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
BENTLEY
HOSPITAL — CHILDREN'S SURGICAL SERVICES
275. Mr R.H. COOK to the
Minister for Health:
I refer to the minister's decision to close children's
surgical services at Bentley Hospital, which comes hot on the heels of the
minister's humiliating backflip on a previous attempt to close
maternity services at this hospital.
(1) Is it not
the case that the minister is now just trying to close Bentley Hospital by
stealth?
(2) Will the
minister guarantee that no children's operations will be cancelled as a
result of his decisions to axe these services at the hospital?
HOSPITAL — CHILDREN'S SURGICAL SERVICES
275. Mr R.H. COOK to the
Minister for Health:
I refer to the minister's decision to close children's
surgical services at Bentley Hospital, which comes hot on the heels of the
minister's humiliating backflip on a previous attempt to close
maternity services at this hospital.
(1) Is it not
the case that the minister is now just trying to close Bentley Hospital by
stealth?
(2) Will the
minister guarantee that no children's operations will be cancelled as a
result of his decisions to axe these services at the hospital?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I actually do not feel humiliated
about anything at the moment, in particular in relation to Bentley Hospital. I discussed
this issue with the director general of the Department of Health the other day
and was informed that paediatric surgery has essentially never been undertaken,
or certainly not in recent times, at Bentley Hospital.
Mr R.H. Cook : There are 13 on the books
already at the moment.
Mr J.H.D. DAY : If
some surgery has been undertaken there in recent times, from what I was
advised, that is an unusual situation. Princess Margaret Hospital for Children
is the primary hospital for the provision of surgical services for children in Western
Australia. That will be changing at the end of this year when the $1.2 billion
new Perth Children's Hospital is opened, but, as I am advised, there
has been little, if any, change to the normal arrangements at Bentley.
about anything at the moment, in particular in relation to Bentley Hospital. I discussed
this issue with the director general of the Department of Health the other day
and was informed that paediatric surgery has essentially never been undertaken,
or certainly not in recent times, at Bentley Hospital.
Mr R.H. Cook : There are 13 on the books
already at the moment.
Mr J.H.D. DAY : If
some surgery has been undertaken there in recent times, from what I was
advised, that is an unusual situation. Princess Margaret Hospital for Children
is the primary hospital for the provision of surgical services for children in Western
Australia. That will be changing at the end of this year when the $1.2 billion
new Perth Children's Hospital is opened, but, as I am advised, there
has been little, if any, change to the normal arrangements at Bentley.
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