❓ Question regarding regional health infrastructure projects undertaken by the Liberal-National government, with a focus on Harvey and Bunbury hospitals. The Minister details improvements and funding.
AnsweredQoN 871Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HEALTH — REGIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
871. Mr M.J. COWPER to the Minister for
Health:
I understand that last week the
minister visited the hospitals in the beautiful towns of Harvey and Bunbury.
Can the minister please update the house on the infrastructure projects being
undertaken by the Liberal–National government to deliver high-quality
health to the people of the regions?
871. Mr M.J. COWPER to the Minister for
Health:
I understand that last week the
minister visited the hospitals in the beautiful towns of Harvey and Bunbury.
Can the minister please update the house on the infrastructure projects being
undertaken by the Liberal–National government to deliver high-quality
health to the people of the regions?
AnswerView source ↗
I
thank the member for Murray–Wellington for the question and his strong
interest in and advocacy for the improvement of regional health services, in
particular in the Harvey locality and surrounding districts. I was very pleased
to visit Harvey and Bunbury last week, in the case of Harvey for the opening of
the new emergency department at Harvey Hospital as part of the $13 million
redevelopment of the Harvey health service. It is a much improved emergency
department that is now located in Harvey. It includes a purpose-built
resuscitation bay, acute care bay, treatment room, mental health assessment
room and ambulance entrance. Emergency telehealth technology is also provided,
which ensures that clinicians at Harvey Hospital who are dealing with emergency
situations are able to communicate with emergency medicine specialists in
Perth. It is one of about 74 sites under the emergency telehealth service right
around the state. There will be further improvements, which are still under
construction at Harvey Hospital, and they are expected to be completed in the
next six months or so. They will deliver improved outpatient and pathology
services, and medical records and administration facilities.
While I was there, the point was
made to me that the emergency department at Harvey Hospital is in fact very
important, particularly in relation to motor vehicle crashes, sadly, given that
it is roughly at the midpoint between Mandurah and Bunbury and far too many
road crashes occur on Forrest Highway, South Western Highway and other roads;
we have unfortunately seen recent examples of that. The new emergency
department at Harvey Hospital is a very welcome development. I understand it
has been desired for quite a number of years and the member for Murray–Wellington
has certainly been a strong advocate for that to occur. The other centre that I
was pleased to visit was Bunbury, in particular the South West Health Campus,
to see the almost completed —
Mr
R.H. Cook interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Kwinana, I call you to order for the second time.
Mr
R.H. Cook interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member, do you want to be called for the third time?
Mr
J.H.D. DAY : The opposition does not like to be reminded of the $7 billion
redevelopment of the health system right across Western Australia—$7 billion—from
very large teaching hospitals in the Perth metropolitan area to small health
services and posts in remote parts of Western Australia and the large hospitals
in regional centres of Western Australia as well. That is $7 billion. They are
present from the south coast of the state right up to the north and right
throughout the Perth metropolitan area. I remember attending the opening of
Bunbury Hospital, in fact, in early 1999. It was actually a redevelopment that
was delivered by the previous coalition government. The previous Labor
government had put up a sign stating it was going to do it in Bunbury. In the
early 1990s, the Labor Party specialised in putting up signs saying it was
going to do it; it never happened.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : That
is enough! I am hearing noise from all sides. I have not got sonic ears; I am
just hearing noise. I want 30 seconds.
Mr J.H.D. DAY :
Albany Hospital, as the Premier says, is another example; unfortunately, it is
one that I have not had the opportunity to visit, with so many new ones across
the state. I have not had the opportunity to visit the new hospital, but I look
forward to doing so in the next few months to see what is being provided there.
Bunbury has a major new pathology centre that is nearing completion and will be
completed in the first few months of next year. It is a $4.8 million facility
that is being funded as part of the $6.9 million joint federal and state
government funding that is also being provided for upgrades to pathology
facilities in Collie and Narrogin. In Bunbury, it will provide about three
times the area of the current pathology labs at Bunbury health campus. For the
PathWest staff who are located there, it will ensure that their
state-of-the-art services are able to be provided to Bunbury and the south west
region and, importantly, it is also located close to Bunbury Hospital's
emergency department. Those are two very positive developments that are typical
of the change that has occurred in the last eight years in health services
right across Western Australia.
thank the member for Murray–Wellington for the question and his strong
interest in and advocacy for the improvement of regional health services, in
particular in the Harvey locality and surrounding districts. I was very pleased
to visit Harvey and Bunbury last week, in the case of Harvey for the opening of
the new emergency department at Harvey Hospital as part of the $13 million
redevelopment of the Harvey health service. It is a much improved emergency
department that is now located in Harvey. It includes a purpose-built
resuscitation bay, acute care bay, treatment room, mental health assessment
room and ambulance entrance. Emergency telehealth technology is also provided,
which ensures that clinicians at Harvey Hospital who are dealing with emergency
situations are able to communicate with emergency medicine specialists in
Perth. It is one of about 74 sites under the emergency telehealth service right
around the state. There will be further improvements, which are still under
construction at Harvey Hospital, and they are expected to be completed in the
next six months or so. They will deliver improved outpatient and pathology
services, and medical records and administration facilities.
While I was there, the point was
made to me that the emergency department at Harvey Hospital is in fact very
important, particularly in relation to motor vehicle crashes, sadly, given that
it is roughly at the midpoint between Mandurah and Bunbury and far too many
road crashes occur on Forrest Highway, South Western Highway and other roads;
we have unfortunately seen recent examples of that. The new emergency
department at Harvey Hospital is a very welcome development. I understand it
has been desired for quite a number of years and the member for Murray–Wellington
has certainly been a strong advocate for that to occur. The other centre that I
was pleased to visit was Bunbury, in particular the South West Health Campus,
to see the almost completed —
Mr
R.H. Cook interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Kwinana, I call you to order for the second time.
Mr
R.H. Cook interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member, do you want to be called for the third time?
Mr
J.H.D. DAY : The opposition does not like to be reminded of the $7 billion
redevelopment of the health system right across Western Australia—$7 billion—from
very large teaching hospitals in the Perth metropolitan area to small health
services and posts in remote parts of Western Australia and the large hospitals
in regional centres of Western Australia as well. That is $7 billion. They are
present from the south coast of the state right up to the north and right
throughout the Perth metropolitan area. I remember attending the opening of
Bunbury Hospital, in fact, in early 1999. It was actually a redevelopment that
was delivered by the previous coalition government. The previous Labor
government had put up a sign stating it was going to do it in Bunbury. In the
early 1990s, the Labor Party specialised in putting up signs saying it was
going to do it; it never happened.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : That
is enough! I am hearing noise from all sides. I have not got sonic ears; I am
just hearing noise. I want 30 seconds.
Mr J.H.D. DAY :
Albany Hospital, as the Premier says, is another example; unfortunately, it is
one that I have not had the opportunity to visit, with so many new ones across
the state. I have not had the opportunity to visit the new hospital, but I look
forward to doing so in the next few months to see what is being provided there.
Bunbury has a major new pathology centre that is nearing completion and will be
completed in the first few months of next year. It is a $4.8 million facility
that is being funded as part of the $6.9 million joint federal and state
government funding that is also being provided for upgrades to pathology
facilities in Collie and Narrogin. In Bunbury, it will provide about three
times the area of the current pathology labs at Bunbury health campus. For the
PathWest staff who are located there, it will ensure that their
state-of-the-art services are able to be provided to Bunbury and the south west
region and, importantly, it is also located close to Bunbury Hospital's
emergency department. Those are two very positive developments that are typical
of the change that has occurred in the last eight years in health services
right across Western Australia.
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