❓ Mrs O'Malley asks about the expansion of Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital's emergency department and its impact on managing infectious diseases. The Minister for Health details the new fast-track area and isolation room, highlighting improved patient flow and infectious disease management capabilities.
AnsweredQoN 327Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SIR CHARLES GAIRDNER
HOSPITAL — EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT
327. Mrs L.M. O'MALLEY to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the response to COVID-19
and the work that continues to happen to ensure that hospitals are prepared for
any increased demand. Can the minister outline to the house how the expansion
of the emergency department at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital will further help
our hospital workers manage any increase in cases of highly infectious
diseases, particularly during the upcoming flu season?
HOSPITAL — EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT
327. Mrs L.M. O'MALLEY to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the response to COVID-19
and the work that continues to happen to ensure that hospitals are prepared for
any increased demand. Can the minister outline to the house how the expansion
of the emergency department at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital will further help
our hospital workers manage any increase in cases of highly infectious
diseases, particularly during the upcoming flu season?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the
question. Health is an important issue in the electorate of Bicton, and I acknowledge
the great work that the member has done with her community to raise health
issues.
I had the great opportunity to go
to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital this morning to meet with the doctors and
nurses who are working on the front line in our emergency department. I was
there to open the five-bed fast-track area and isolation room at Sir Charles
Gairdner Hospital as part of an expansion that was originally prioritised for
the COVID-19 response. Charlies is a world-leading medical facility, and these
expanded areas are expected to help the emergency department staff with the
patient flow of the 6 000 presentations they have each month. The $900 000
expanded capacity area will fast-track those patients with low acuity injuries
and illnesses, such as those in categories 4
and 5. It will provide them with the opportunity to get assistance quickly so
that they can move through and out of the ED and get on with their
lives. It will take around 20 per cent of patients away from the main ED environment, which will be an important
contribution to patient flow. Patients will be able to be seen without entering the main emergency department, which is a loud
and busy place. This will keep the bays in the emergency department free
for more complex patients.
This upgrade was fast-tracked to
make sure that we were ready for COVID-19, but we will now be ready for the
2020 flu season. Part of this facility is an isolation room that can
accommodate up to three patients at any one time. That will ensure that patients who come into the ED who are exhibiting
infectious-like diseases can be accommodated in a more appropriate
environment. Charlies is one of our specialist infectious diseases hospitals.
During the Ebola outbreak, it received between nine and a dozen patients. Its
staff are qualified and are experts in the area. This new facility will go a long
way towards building on that expertise and specialisation to make sure that
they are well equipped to deal with any issues that come their way.
The negative pressure room will
enable suspected infectious patients to be assessed and treated in a controlled
clinical environment. It is about putting patients first, which is always the
priority of the McGowan government. While I am talking about putting patients
first, I remind everyone to go to their general practitioner to get
their flu jab. The campaign I recently launched with the WA Primary Health
Alliance called #SeeYourGP is a reminder to people, particularly those over 65
years of age, to make sure that they get their immunisation or flu jab for this year. Of course, the McGowan government
continues to lead the nation in flu vaccination programs, with all primary school–aged children now eligible for a free flu jab. Although the flu
jab will not protect against coronavirus, it will protect people who are more susceptible
to falling ill to the flu and may need care in our hospitals.
This latest upgrade is another
important element of making sure that our hospitals are ready to receive
patients and put patients first, which is the McGowan government's
priority.
question. Health is an important issue in the electorate of Bicton, and I acknowledge
the great work that the member has done with her community to raise health
issues.
I had the great opportunity to go
to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital this morning to meet with the doctors and
nurses who are working on the front line in our emergency department. I was
there to open the five-bed fast-track area and isolation room at Sir Charles
Gairdner Hospital as part of an expansion that was originally prioritised for
the COVID-19 response. Charlies is a world-leading medical facility, and these
expanded areas are expected to help the emergency department staff with the
patient flow of the 6 000 presentations they have each month. The $900 000
expanded capacity area will fast-track those patients with low acuity injuries
and illnesses, such as those in categories 4
and 5. It will provide them with the opportunity to get assistance quickly so
that they can move through and out of the ED and get on with their
lives. It will take around 20 per cent of patients away from the main ED environment, which will be an important
contribution to patient flow. Patients will be able to be seen without entering the main emergency department, which is a loud
and busy place. This will keep the bays in the emergency department free
for more complex patients.
This upgrade was fast-tracked to
make sure that we were ready for COVID-19, but we will now be ready for the
2020 flu season. Part of this facility is an isolation room that can
accommodate up to three patients at any one time. That will ensure that patients who come into the ED who are exhibiting
infectious-like diseases can be accommodated in a more appropriate
environment. Charlies is one of our specialist infectious diseases hospitals.
During the Ebola outbreak, it received between nine and a dozen patients. Its
staff are qualified and are experts in the area. This new facility will go a long
way towards building on that expertise and specialisation to make sure that
they are well equipped to deal with any issues that come their way.
The negative pressure room will
enable suspected infectious patients to be assessed and treated in a controlled
clinical environment. It is about putting patients first, which is always the
priority of the McGowan government. While I am talking about putting patients
first, I remind everyone to go to their general practitioner to get
their flu jab. The campaign I recently launched with the WA Primary Health
Alliance called #SeeYourGP is a reminder to people, particularly those over 65
years of age, to make sure that they get their immunisation or flu jab for this year. Of course, the McGowan government
continues to lead the nation in flu vaccination programs, with all primary school–aged children now eligible for a free flu jab. Although the flu
jab will not protect against coronavirus, it will protect people who are more susceptible
to falling ill to the flu and may need care in our hospitals.
This latest upgrade is another
important element of making sure that our hospitals are ready to receive
patients and put patients first, which is the McGowan government's
priority.
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