❓ Mr. Punch questions the Minister for Health about investments in regional health services, particularly in Bunbury. The Minister details investments in mental health services, including step-up/step-down facilities and AOD support, highlighting the Bunbury facility and broader regional initiatives.
AnsweredQoN 734Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HEALTH — REGIONAL
SERVICES
734. Mr D.T. PUNCH to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment of putting patients first through its
significant investment in health services, particularly across regional Western
Australia.
(1) Can the minister update the
house on this government's investment in health services —
Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Dawesville, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr D.T. PUNCH : Can I start
again, please?
The SPEAKER : Start again,
member for Bunbury.
Mr D.T. PUNCH : I refer to the
McGowan Labor government's commitment of putting patients first through
its significant investment in health services, particularly across regional WA.
(1) Can the
minister update the house on this government's investment in health
services in Bunbury, including the progress of the Bunbury step-up, step-down
mental health service?
(2) Can the
minister outline to the house what other regional communities are being
supported by this government's investment?
SERVICES
734. Mr D.T. PUNCH to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment of putting patients first through its
significant investment in health services, particularly across regional Western
Australia.
(1) Can the minister update the
house on this government's investment in health services —
Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Dawesville, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr D.T. PUNCH : Can I start
again, please?
The SPEAKER : Start again,
member for Bunbury.
Mr D.T. PUNCH : I refer to the
McGowan Labor government's commitment of putting patients first through
its significant investment in health services, particularly across regional WA.
(1) Can the
minister update the house on this government's investment in health
services in Bunbury, including the progress of the Bunbury step-up, step-down
mental health service?
(2) Can the
minister outline to the house what other regional communities are being
supported by this government's investment?
AnswerView source ↗
I
would like to thank the member for the question. Once again, we see the member
for Bunbury on his feet championing the interests of people in his area
and across the regions.
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine, I am sick of your voice. I call you to order for the first time.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr R.H. COOK : Mr Speaker.
(1)–(2) The
McGowan government has made boosting mental health services in the regions a priority
for our government. In addition to the other regional health services that we
have invested in, we want to make sure that people in regional communities
continue to enjoy strong growth in their mental health and alcohol and other drug services. I was delighted
to be with the member for Bunbury on 23 August when we were able to look
at the emerging construction of the Bunbury step-up, step-down facility. The
member for Bunbury and I assisted some of the local builders, and the step-up,
step-down facility in Bunbury is being built with 87 per cent local content.
Not only are we creating great facilities for the people of Bunbury, but also
jobs around the construction of these important facilities. Nevertheless, the
member for Bunbury and I assisted them with bricklaying. I think our work
looked fine; I think we were doing a great job, although, member for Bunbury,
they may have been pulling apart what our hard efforts went into as we left the
site.
It is an important process. We are
investing over $22 million in making sure that we boost mental health services
in our regional communities. The Bunbury facility, which will open in early
2020, will join the already open step-up, step-down facility in Albany. In
addition, we are looking to invest in these communities to create step-up,
step-down services in Broome, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie and Karratha. They will be
important facilities, because they will provide the opportunity for patients
who are becoming mentally unwell to get subacute care before they enter a hospital
system or those transitioning out of hospital to get transitional care, so that
they can move back into the community. They are tremendous services and we are
committed to making sure that people in regional communities get those
services. In addition, Bunbury and the people of the south west will also benefit
from our 44 new alcohol and other drug beds in the south west. The beds
complement and build on an existing system of AOD treatment and support
services across the state and meet, ahead of time, a significant election
commitment that we made. As part of the government's response to the
Methamphetamine Action Plan Taskforce, we are planning on expanding the
award-winning police mental health co-response program, which I am championing,
partnering with the Minister for Police, making sure that we grow those award-winning
services in the regional areas and include AOD support.
We should be proud of the work that
the WA Country Health Service is doing creating outstanding services right across our regional communities. I am
sure that the member for Geraldton will be pleased to hear that in 2019,
the Geraldton Health Campus was named Australia's most outstanding
regional hospital from the Australian Patients Association. In addition, the WA
Country Health Service outperforms many of its metropolitan peers.
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine, I can hear that voice again.
Mr R.H. COOK : I appreciate
that health services in the regions are not a high priority for the member for
Carine, but they are a high priority for the
McGowan government. That is why the WA Country Health Service continues to outperform many of its metropolitan peers in the Western Australia emergency
access target and the WA elective services target. The telehealth service
continues to grow. Seventy-five per cent of emergency telehealth service
patients are assessed, diagnosed, treated and discharged locally. In late July
2019, the mental health emergency telehealth service commenced, providing 24/7
access to specialist mental health nurses and psychiatrists. This enabled 75 per
cent of patients to remain at site. We are continuing to grow our health
services right across the state and—as
I am sure the member for Geraldton will be pleased to hear—make sure
that Geraldton Health Campus continues to receive its resources as part
of our election commitment to redevelop that hospital. We are the first
government since the Carpenter Labor government to undertake that work.
would like to thank the member for the question. Once again, we see the member
for Bunbury on his feet championing the interests of people in his area
and across the regions.
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine, I am sick of your voice. I call you to order for the first time.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr R.H. COOK : Mr Speaker.
(1)–(2) The
McGowan government has made boosting mental health services in the regions a priority
for our government. In addition to the other regional health services that we
have invested in, we want to make sure that people in regional communities
continue to enjoy strong growth in their mental health and alcohol and other drug services. I was delighted
to be with the member for Bunbury on 23 August when we were able to look
at the emerging construction of the Bunbury step-up, step-down facility. The
member for Bunbury and I assisted some of the local builders, and the step-up,
step-down facility in Bunbury is being built with 87 per cent local content.
Not only are we creating great facilities for the people of Bunbury, but also
jobs around the construction of these important facilities. Nevertheless, the
member for Bunbury and I assisted them with bricklaying. I think our work
looked fine; I think we were doing a great job, although, member for Bunbury,
they may have been pulling apart what our hard efforts went into as we left the
site.
It is an important process. We are
investing over $22 million in making sure that we boost mental health services
in our regional communities. The Bunbury facility, which will open in early
2020, will join the already open step-up, step-down facility in Albany. In
addition, we are looking to invest in these communities to create step-up,
step-down services in Broome, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie and Karratha. They will be
important facilities, because they will provide the opportunity for patients
who are becoming mentally unwell to get subacute care before they enter a hospital
system or those transitioning out of hospital to get transitional care, so that
they can move back into the community. They are tremendous services and we are
committed to making sure that people in regional communities get those
services. In addition, Bunbury and the people of the south west will also benefit
from our 44 new alcohol and other drug beds in the south west. The beds
complement and build on an existing system of AOD treatment and support
services across the state and meet, ahead of time, a significant election
commitment that we made. As part of the government's response to the
Methamphetamine Action Plan Taskforce, we are planning on expanding the
award-winning police mental health co-response program, which I am championing,
partnering with the Minister for Police, making sure that we grow those award-winning
services in the regional areas and include AOD support.
We should be proud of the work that
the WA Country Health Service is doing creating outstanding services right across our regional communities. I am
sure that the member for Geraldton will be pleased to hear that in 2019,
the Geraldton Health Campus was named Australia's most outstanding
regional hospital from the Australian Patients Association. In addition, the WA
Country Health Service outperforms many of its metropolitan peers.
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine, I can hear that voice again.
Mr R.H. COOK : I appreciate
that health services in the regions are not a high priority for the member for
Carine, but they are a high priority for the
McGowan government. That is why the WA Country Health Service continues to outperform many of its metropolitan peers in the Western Australia emergency
access target and the WA elective services target. The telehealth service
continues to grow. Seventy-five per cent of emergency telehealth service
patients are assessed, diagnosed, treated and discharged locally. In late July
2019, the mental health emergency telehealth service commenced, providing 24/7
access to specialist mental health nurses and psychiatrists. This enabled 75 per
cent of patients to remain at site. We are continuing to grow our health
services right across the state and—as
I am sure the member for Geraldton will be pleased to hear—make sure
that Geraldton Health Campus continues to receive its resources as part
of our election commitment to redevelop that hospital. We are the first
government since the Carpenter Labor government to undertake that work.
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