❓ Mrs O'Malley asks about the McGowan government's investment in upgrading emergency departments and how it supports healthcare and local jobs. The Minister for Health details completed and planned upgrades at several hospitals, including Royal Perth, Sir Charles Gairdner, Peel Health Campus and Armadale Hospital.
AnsweredQoN 893Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HOSPITALS —
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS — INVESTMENT
893. Mrs L.M. O'MALLEY to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the work of the McGowan
Labor government in ensuring that Western Australia is kept safe and strong
through its significant investment in hospitals across the state.
(1) Can the minister update the house on this
government's investment in upgrading our emergency departments ,
and outline how this is supporting the delivery of high-quality health care in
our hospitals?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how this investment is also supporting local jobs and
local businesses as we recover from the economic impacts of COVID-19?
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS — INVESTMENT
893. Mrs L.M. O'MALLEY to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the work of the McGowan
Labor government in ensuring that Western Australia is kept safe and strong
through its significant investment in hospitals across the state.
(1) Can the minister update the house on this
government's investment in upgrading our emergency departments ,
and outline how this is supporting the delivery of high-quality health care in
our hospitals?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how this investment is also supporting local jobs and
local businesses as we recover from the economic impacts of COVID-19?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
(1)–(2) It is an important one because we all know at this
time that our emergency departments continue to be drawn on and the demand is
high, but we also know that our emergency departments are our frontline
workers: doctors, nurses and allied health staff who are performing outstanding
roles for Western Australians day in, day out. It is important that we have a government
that stands by them and puts patients first and makes sure that we can continue
to invest in our hospital system so that it can serve the Western Australian
community into the future. I am particularly proud of the McGowan government's
investment in our emergency departments to allow them to continue to expand and
increase their capacity.
In particular, I want to go through
just a few of those infrastructure changes that have allowed emergency departments to continue to meet the demands of our
community. Work has already been completed in 2020 at the Royal Perth
Hospital, including the construction of two single rooms within the quick
assessment care unit as well as the conversion of six critical care bays into
single rooms, which will enable the emergency department to treat patients
requiring isolation from other patients. Obviously, this is crucial in times of
COVID-19.
We have already implemented a mental
health observation area at Royal Perth Hospital as well as undertaking a $1.4 million
investment in infrastructure works within the Royal Perth Hospital emergency
department, which will commence early next year, to enhance patient flow and
provide better patient experience. This
includes additional consulting rooms in the psychiatric assessment unit,
increased treatment space in the quick assessment area, combined clerk
and triage areas and an enhanced secure entrance to the emergency department.
Other hospitals are also enjoying
additional expenditure. That includes Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital—our
other very busy hospital. It has $19 million in upgrades to enhance the patient
experience and improve the safety of patients and staff at Sir Charles Gairdner
Hospital. That includes a new eight-bed behaviour assessment unit, which will
improve patient and clinical outcomes for patients affected by alcohol and/or
other drugs. Relocation of the ED fast-track area will help ensure patients are
able to be seen within the ED without entering the ED main department; and a class
Q quarantine room within the ED to improve infection control.
Mental
health and COVID-19 respiratory illness and infectious diseases remain ongoing
challenges for our EDs, and these upgrades continue to equip them to make sure
that they can meet the demands of the future.
The member for Armadale, and
perhaps begrudgingly the member for Dawesville, will be pleased to hear that
our $5 million upgrades to the Peel Health Campus ED are continuing and will be
completed by January 2021. That includes a new
fast-track ambulatory area to improve patient triage, new holding bays, a new
waiting area as well as the addition of seven beds in the short-stay unit to
further streamline patient flow.
In addition to that, the member for
Armadale will no doubt be pleased that we will soon be undertaking an upgrade
to the emergency department at Armadale hospital, and that is currently out for
tender with construction anticipated before the end of the year.
Dr A.D. Buti : That's
great for Darling Range, too.
Mr R.H. COOK : It certainly
is great for Darling Range, member for Armadale!
Several members interjected.
Mr R.H. COOK : The member
for Armadale is keen to hear that as part of the reconfiguration, a dedicated
paediatric patient area and waiting room —
The SPEAKER : Member for Swan
Hills, you are not in your regular seat!
Mr R.H. COOK : — and
an enhanced short-stay unit for mental health patients, along with a dedicated
respiratory assessment area will be developed, with works anticipated to be
completed by mid-2021.
In
addition to that, the member for Swan Hills, the member for Midland and other
members in the East Metro Region will be pleased to hear that the St
John of God Midland Public Hospital will soon benefit from a mental health
emergency centre as part of a $6 million upgrade to the emergency department in
that hospital.
No
doubt, the member for Geraldton—who has already jumped one political
party and might join another soon—is excited to hear about the changes
to the Geraldton hospital under the McGowan Labor government. It includes an
expanded emergency department and a newly redeveloped high-dependency unit.
These are great changes. But all these changes fall into insignificance
compared with the massive expansion that is taking place at Joondalup Health
Campus, which the member for Joondalup, member for Wanneroo and the current
member for Girrawheen will be delighted to hear. This $256 million
redevelopment will see the emergency department expanded by another 12 bays and
comes on top of the opening of the mental health observation area earlier this
term. Finally, if that is not enough, and it is not, the member for Bunbury
will be very pleased to hear that the emergency department at Bunbury Hospital
at South West Health Campus will be upgraded with a fast-track area, including
a new mental health observation area. These all go towards continuing to
improve the services that Western Australian patients receive. We know that our
emergency departments will continue to be under strong demand and that the
great doctors, nurses and allied health staff who work in them will continue to
be under pressure. But we know that in the McGowan government we have a government
that puts hospitals and patients first, and makes sure that they get the
investment they need.
(1)–(2) It is an important one because we all know at this
time that our emergency departments continue to be drawn on and the demand is
high, but we also know that our emergency departments are our frontline
workers: doctors, nurses and allied health staff who are performing outstanding
roles for Western Australians day in, day out. It is important that we have a government
that stands by them and puts patients first and makes sure that we can continue
to invest in our hospital system so that it can serve the Western Australian
community into the future. I am particularly proud of the McGowan government's
investment in our emergency departments to allow them to continue to expand and
increase their capacity.
In particular, I want to go through
just a few of those infrastructure changes that have allowed emergency departments to continue to meet the demands of our
community. Work has already been completed in 2020 at the Royal Perth
Hospital, including the construction of two single rooms within the quick
assessment care unit as well as the conversion of six critical care bays into
single rooms, which will enable the emergency department to treat patients
requiring isolation from other patients. Obviously, this is crucial in times of
COVID-19.
We have already implemented a mental
health observation area at Royal Perth Hospital as well as undertaking a $1.4 million
investment in infrastructure works within the Royal Perth Hospital emergency
department, which will commence early next year, to enhance patient flow and
provide better patient experience. This
includes additional consulting rooms in the psychiatric assessment unit,
increased treatment space in the quick assessment area, combined clerk
and triage areas and an enhanced secure entrance to the emergency department.
Other hospitals are also enjoying
additional expenditure. That includes Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital—our
other very busy hospital. It has $19 million in upgrades to enhance the patient
experience and improve the safety of patients and staff at Sir Charles Gairdner
Hospital. That includes a new eight-bed behaviour assessment unit, which will
improve patient and clinical outcomes for patients affected by alcohol and/or
other drugs. Relocation of the ED fast-track area will help ensure patients are
able to be seen within the ED without entering the ED main department; and a class
Q quarantine room within the ED to improve infection control.
Mental
health and COVID-19 respiratory illness and infectious diseases remain ongoing
challenges for our EDs, and these upgrades continue to equip them to make sure
that they can meet the demands of the future.
The member for Armadale, and
perhaps begrudgingly the member for Dawesville, will be pleased to hear that
our $5 million upgrades to the Peel Health Campus ED are continuing and will be
completed by January 2021. That includes a new
fast-track ambulatory area to improve patient triage, new holding bays, a new
waiting area as well as the addition of seven beds in the short-stay unit to
further streamline patient flow.
In addition to that, the member for
Armadale will no doubt be pleased that we will soon be undertaking an upgrade
to the emergency department at Armadale hospital, and that is currently out for
tender with construction anticipated before the end of the year.
Dr A.D. Buti : That's
great for Darling Range, too.
Mr R.H. COOK : It certainly
is great for Darling Range, member for Armadale!
Several members interjected.
Mr R.H. COOK : The member
for Armadale is keen to hear that as part of the reconfiguration, a dedicated
paediatric patient area and waiting room —
The SPEAKER : Member for Swan
Hills, you are not in your regular seat!
Mr R.H. COOK : — and
an enhanced short-stay unit for mental health patients, along with a dedicated
respiratory assessment area will be developed, with works anticipated to be
completed by mid-2021.
In
addition to that, the member for Swan Hills, the member for Midland and other
members in the East Metro Region will be pleased to hear that the St
John of God Midland Public Hospital will soon benefit from a mental health
emergency centre as part of a $6 million upgrade to the emergency department in
that hospital.
No
doubt, the member for Geraldton—who has already jumped one political
party and might join another soon—is excited to hear about the changes
to the Geraldton hospital under the McGowan Labor government. It includes an
expanded emergency department and a newly redeveloped high-dependency unit.
These are great changes. But all these changes fall into insignificance
compared with the massive expansion that is taking place at Joondalup Health
Campus, which the member for Joondalup, member for Wanneroo and the current
member for Girrawheen will be delighted to hear. This $256 million
redevelopment will see the emergency department expanded by another 12 bays and
comes on top of the opening of the mental health observation area earlier this
term. Finally, if that is not enough, and it is not, the member for Bunbury
will be very pleased to hear that the emergency department at Bunbury Hospital
at South West Health Campus will be upgraded with a fast-track area, including
a new mental health observation area. These all go towards continuing to
improve the services that Western Australian patients receive. We know that our
emergency departments will continue to be under strong demand and that the
great doctors, nurses and allied health staff who work in them will continue to
be under pressure. But we know that in the McGowan government we have a government
that puts hospitals and patients first, and makes sure that they get the
investment they need.
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