❓ The Minister for Health provides an update on investments in cardiac services at Fremantle Hospital, including the opening of a new coronary care unit, increased bed capacity, and addressing past deficiencies in intensive care beds. The response also includes some political commentary and personal anecdotes.
AnsweredQoN 612Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
FREMANTLE HOSPITAL — CARDIAC SERVICES
Could the minister please update the house on the latest investments in cardiac services at Fremantle Hospital? Dr K.D. HAMES
Could the minister please update the house on the latest investments in cardiac services at Fremantle Hospital? Dr K.D. HAMES
AnswerView source ↗
I was very pleased to be down at Fremantle Hospital yesterday. I received an excellent response from a couple of union members; some were bashing on the door while I was trying to do the opening! We were doing something very important for the people of Fremantle and that region, which was opening the coronary care unit. The unit has moved from where it used to be—that is, attached to the intensive care unit—to its own facilities. Twelve beds have been transferred. An additional six beds are attached — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected . Dr K.D. HAMES : Is the member interjecting on me or her? Ms M.M. Quirk : Her. Dr K.D. HAMES : I am speaking; so perhaps the member can wait until she is speaking and then interject on her! Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : I met the member’s mate. I think he called himself MRSA, which is methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. I met him—I think it was a “him”—when I was there. I said he reminded me more of a norovirus because he gave me the same symptoms! The shadow minister of course knows what symptoms those are, because it is a deadly virus. This priority care unit is extremely important. Under the watch of the minister in 2004 a report was done by Shane Kelly, interestingly enough called the Kelly report! It referred to the number of intensive care beds available in this state. It found that there was a significant deficiency in the number of intensive care beds. The former minister was trying to get those beds, but it was extremely difficult. There was a significant issue with getting funding for the construction and the staff. I am very pleased to say that we have finally got there and that $3.6 million has been spent on moving and significantly upgrading the coronary care unit, and we are now to spend an additional $2.1 million, adding seven extra beds to the 12 that exist in the intensive care unit, and that will be finished early next year. The member for Alfred Cove’s husband, who works in that area at Fremantle Hospital, and others from that department, Dr Lane in particular, said to me that they have had to cancel extremely important waitlist surgery for patients who need an intensive care bed after their surgery, because there is not the bed space available. So this critical surgery in the past has had to be cancelled; in fact, one patient’s operation was cancelled twice. We ended up doing it at the private Mount Hospital to make sure that his operation was not cancelled a third time. There was a critical deficit of intensive care beds. We are getting more at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and we are opening those at Rockingham, but it is critical we get those extra beds. I am very pleased to say that this is the first concrete step in going along that path.
Dr K.D. HAMES replied: I was very pleased to be down at Fremantle Hospital yesterday. I received an excellent response from a couple of union members; some were bashing on the door while I was trying to do the opening! We were doing something very important for the people of Fremantle and that region, which was opening the coronary care unit. The unit has moved from where it used to be—that is, attached to the intensive care unit—to its own facilities. Twelve beds have been transferred. An additional six beds are attached — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected . Dr K.D. HAMES : Is the member interjecting on me or her? Ms M.M. Quirk : Her. Dr K.D. HAMES : I am speaking; so perhaps the member can wait until she is speaking and then interject on her! Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : I met the member’s mate. I think he called himself MRSA, which is methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. I met him—I think it was a “him”—when I was there. I said he reminded me more of a norovirus because he gave me the same symptoms! The shadow minister of course knows what symptoms those are, because it is a deadly virus. This priority care unit is extremely important. Under the watch of the minister in 2004 a report was done by Shane Kelly, interestingly enough called the Kelly report! It referred to the number of intensive care beds available in this state. It found that there was a significant deficiency in the number of intensive care beds. The former minister was trying to get those beds, but it was extremely difficult. There was a significant issue with getting funding for the construction and the staff. I am very pleased to say that we have finally got there and that $3.6 million has been spent on moving and significantly upgrading the coronary care unit, and we are now to spend an additional $2.1 million, adding seven extra beds to the 12 that exist in the intensive care unit, and that will be finished early next year. The member for Alfred Cove’s husband, who works in that area at Fremantle Hospital, and others from that department, Dr Lane in particular, said to me that they have had to cancel extremely important waitlist surgery for patients who need an intensive care bed after their surgery, because there is not the bed space available. So this critical surgery in the past has had to be cancelled; in fact, one patient’s operation was cancelled twice. We ended up doing it at the private Mount Hospital to make sure that his operation was not cancelled a third time. There was a critical deficit of intensive care beds. We are getting more at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and we are opening those at Rockingham, but it is critical we get those extra beds. I am very pleased to say that this is the first concrete step in going along that path.
I was very pleased to be down at Fremantle Hospital yesterday. I received an excellent response from a couple of union members; some were bashing on the door while I was trying to do the opening! We were doing something very important for the people of Fremantle and that region, which was opening the coronary care unit. The unit has moved from where it used to be—that is, attached to the intensive care unit—to its own facilities. Twelve beds have been transferred. An additional six beds are attached — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected . Dr K.D. HAMES : Is the member interjecting on me or her? Ms M.M. Quirk : Her. Dr K.D. HAMES : I am speaking; so perhaps the member can wait until she is speaking and then interject on her! Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : I met the member’s mate. I think he called himself MRSA, which is methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. I met him—I think it was a “him”—when I was there. I said he reminded me more of a norovirus because he gave me the same symptoms! The shadow minister of course knows what symptoms those are, because it is a deadly virus. This priority care unit is extremely important. Under the watch of the minister in 2004 a report was done by Shane Kelly, interestingly enough called the Kelly report! It referred to the number of intensive care beds available in this state. It found that there was a significant deficiency in the number of intensive care beds. The former minister was trying to get those beds, but it was extremely difficult. There was a significant issue with getting funding for the construction and the staff. I am very pleased to say that we have finally got there and that $3.6 million has been spent on moving and significantly upgrading the coronary care unit, and we are now to spend an additional $2.1 million, adding seven extra beds to the 12 that exist in the intensive care unit, and that will be finished early next year. The member for Alfred Cove’s husband, who works in that area at Fremantle Hospital, and others from that department, Dr Lane in particular, said to me that they have had to cancel extremely important waitlist surgery for patients who need an intensive care bed after their surgery, because there is not the bed space available. So this critical surgery in the past has had to be cancelled; in fact, one patient’s operation was cancelled twice. We ended up doing it at the private Mount Hospital to make sure that his operation was not cancelled a third time. There was a critical deficit of intensive care beds. We are getting more at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and we are opening those at Rockingham, but it is critical we get those extra beds. I am very pleased to say that this is the first concrete step in going along that path.
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected . Dr K.D. HAMES : Is the member interjecting on me or her? Ms M.M. Quirk : Her. Dr K.D. HAMES : I am speaking; so perhaps the member can wait until she is speaking and then interject on her! Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : I met the member’s mate. I think he called himself MRSA, which is methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. I met him—I think it was a “him”—when I was there. I said he reminded me more of a norovirus because he gave me the same symptoms! The shadow minister of course knows what symptoms those are, because it is a deadly virus. This priority care unit is extremely important. Under the watch of the minister in 2004 a report was done by Shane Kelly, interestingly enough called the Kelly report! It referred to the number of intensive care beds available in this state. It found that there was a significant deficiency in the number of intensive care beds. The former minister was trying to get those beds, but it was extremely difficult. There was a significant issue with getting funding for the construction and the staff. I am very pleased to say that we have finally got there and that $3.6 million has been spent on moving and significantly upgrading the coronary care unit, and we are now to spend an additional $2.1 million, adding seven extra beds to the 12 that exist in the intensive care unit, and that will be finished early next year. The member for Alfred Cove’s husband, who works in that area at Fremantle Hospital, and others from that department, Dr Lane in particular, said to me that they have had to cancel extremely important waitlist surgery for patients who need an intensive care bed after their surgery, because there is not the bed space available. So this critical surgery in the past has had to be cancelled; in fact, one patient’s operation was cancelled twice. We ended up doing it at the private Mount Hospital to make sure that his operation was not cancelled a third time. There was a critical deficit of intensive care beds. We are getting more at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and we are opening those at Rockingham, but it is critical we get those extra beds. I am very pleased to say that this is the first concrete step in going along that path.
Dr K.D. HAMES : Is the member interjecting on me or her? Ms M.M. Quirk : Her. Dr K.D. HAMES : I am speaking; so perhaps the member can wait until she is speaking and then interject on her! Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : I met the member’s mate. I think he called himself MRSA, which is methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. I met him—I think it was a “him”—when I was there. I said he reminded me more of a norovirus because he gave me the same symptoms! The shadow minister of course knows what symptoms those are, because it is a deadly virus. This priority care unit is extremely important. Under the watch of the minister in 2004 a report was done by Shane Kelly, interestingly enough called the Kelly report! It referred to the number of intensive care beds available in this state. It found that there was a significant deficiency in the number of intensive care beds. The former minister was trying to get those beds, but it was extremely difficult. There was a significant issue with getting funding for the construction and the staff. I am very pleased to say that we have finally got there and that $3.6 million has been spent on moving and significantly upgrading the coronary care unit, and we are now to spend an additional $2.1 million, adding seven extra beds to the 12 that exist in the intensive care unit, and that will be finished early next year. The member for Alfred Cove’s husband, who works in that area at Fremantle Hospital, and others from that department, Dr Lane in particular, said to me that they have had to cancel extremely important waitlist surgery for patients who need an intensive care bed after their surgery, because there is not the bed space available. So this critical surgery in the past has had to be cancelled; in fact, one patient’s operation was cancelled twice. We ended up doing it at the private Mount Hospital to make sure that his operation was not cancelled a third time. There was a critical deficit of intensive care beds. We are getting more at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and we are opening those at Rockingham, but it is critical we get those extra beds. I am very pleased to say that this is the first concrete step in going along that path.
Ms M.M. Quirk : Her. Dr K.D. HAMES : I am speaking; so perhaps the member can wait until she is speaking and then interject on her! Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : I met the member’s mate. I think he called himself MRSA, which is methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. I met him—I think it was a “him”—when I was there. I said he reminded me more of a norovirus because he gave me the same symptoms! The shadow minister of course knows what symptoms those are, because it is a deadly virus. This priority care unit is extremely important. Under the watch of the minister in 2004 a report was done by Shane Kelly, interestingly enough called the Kelly report! It referred to the number of intensive care beds available in this state. It found that there was a significant deficiency in the number of intensive care beds. The former minister was trying to get those beds, but it was extremely difficult. There was a significant issue with getting funding for the construction and the staff. I am very pleased to say that we have finally got there and that $3.6 million has been spent on moving and significantly upgrading the coronary care unit, and we are now to spend an additional $2.1 million, adding seven extra beds to the 12 that exist in the intensive care unit, and that will be finished early next year. The member for Alfred Cove’s husband, who works in that area at Fremantle Hospital, and others from that department, Dr Lane in particular, said to me that they have had to cancel extremely important waitlist surgery for patients who need an intensive care bed after their surgery, because there is not the bed space available. So this critical surgery in the past has had to be cancelled; in fact, one patient’s operation was cancelled twice. We ended up doing it at the private Mount Hospital to make sure that his operation was not cancelled a third time. There was a critical deficit of intensive care beds. We are getting more at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and we are opening those at Rockingham, but it is critical we get those extra beds. I am very pleased to say that this is the first concrete step in going along that path.
Dr K.D. HAMES : I am speaking; so perhaps the member can wait until she is speaking and then interject on her! Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : I met the member’s mate. I think he called himself MRSA, which is methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. I met him—I think it was a “him”—when I was there. I said he reminded me more of a norovirus because he gave me the same symptoms! The shadow minister of course knows what symptoms those are, because it is a deadly virus. This priority care unit is extremely important. Under the watch of the minister in 2004 a report was done by Shane Kelly, interestingly enough called the Kelly report! It referred to the number of intensive care beds available in this state. It found that there was a significant deficiency in the number of intensive care beds. The former minister was trying to get those beds, but it was extremely difficult. There was a significant issue with getting funding for the construction and the staff. I am very pleased to say that we have finally got there and that $3.6 million has been spent on moving and significantly upgrading the coronary care unit, and we are now to spend an additional $2.1 million, adding seven extra beds to the 12 that exist in the intensive care unit, and that will be finished early next year. The member for Alfred Cove’s husband, who works in that area at Fremantle Hospital, and others from that department, Dr Lane in particular, said to me that they have had to cancel extremely important waitlist surgery for patients who need an intensive care bed after their surgery, because there is not the bed space available. So this critical surgery in the past has had to be cancelled; in fact, one patient’s operation was cancelled twice. We ended up doing it at the private Mount Hospital to make sure that his operation was not cancelled a third time. There was a critical deficit of intensive care beds. We are getting more at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and we are opening those at Rockingham, but it is critical we get those extra beds. I am very pleased to say that this is the first concrete step in going along that path.
Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : I met the member’s mate. I think he called himself MRSA, which is methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. I met him—I think it was a “him”—when I was there. I said he reminded me more of a norovirus because he gave me the same symptoms! The shadow minister of course knows what symptoms those are, because it is a deadly virus. This priority care unit is extremely important. Under the watch of the minister in 2004 a report was done by Shane Kelly, interestingly enough called the Kelly report! It referred to the number of intensive care beds available in this state. It found that there was a significant deficiency in the number of intensive care beds. The former minister was trying to get those beds, but it was extremely difficult. There was a significant issue with getting funding for the construction and the staff. I am very pleased to say that we have finally got there and that $3.6 million has been spent on moving and significantly upgrading the coronary care unit, and we are now to spend an additional $2.1 million, adding seven extra beds to the 12 that exist in the intensive care unit, and that will be finished early next year. The member for Alfred Cove’s husband, who works in that area at Fremantle Hospital, and others from that department, Dr Lane in particular, said to me that they have had to cancel extremely important waitlist surgery for patients who need an intensive care bed after their surgery, because there is not the bed space available. So this critical surgery in the past has had to be cancelled; in fact, one patient’s operation was cancelled twice. We ended up doing it at the private Mount Hospital to make sure that his operation was not cancelled a third time. There was a critical deficit of intensive care beds. We are getting more at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and we are opening those at Rockingham, but it is critical we get those extra beds. I am very pleased to say that this is the first concrete step in going along that path.
Dr K.D. HAMES : I met the member’s mate. I think he called himself MRSA, which is methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. I met him—I think it was a “him”—when I was there. I said he reminded me more of a norovirus because he gave me the same symptoms! The shadow minister of course knows what symptoms those are, because it is a deadly virus. This priority care unit is extremely important. Under the watch of the minister in 2004 a report was done by Shane Kelly, interestingly enough called the Kelly report! It referred to the number of intensive care beds available in this state. It found that there was a significant deficiency in the number of intensive care beds. The former minister was trying to get those beds, but it was extremely difficult. There was a significant issue with getting funding for the construction and the staff. I am very pleased to say that we have finally got there and that $3.6 million has been spent on moving and significantly upgrading the coronary care unit, and we are now to spend an additional $2.1 million, adding seven extra beds to the 12 that exist in the intensive care unit, and that will be finished early next year. The member for Alfred Cove’s husband, who works in that area at Fremantle Hospital, and others from that department, Dr Lane in particular, said to me that they have had to cancel extremely important waitlist surgery for patients who need an intensive care bed after their surgery, because there is not the bed space available. So this critical surgery in the past has had to be cancelled; in fact, one patient’s operation was cancelled twice. We ended up doing it at the private Mount Hospital to make sure that his operation was not cancelled a third time. There was a critical deficit of intensive care beds. We are getting more at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and we are opening those at Rockingham, but it is critical we get those extra beds. I am very pleased to say that this is the first concrete step in going along that path.
Dr K.D. HAMES replied: I was very pleased to be down at Fremantle Hospital yesterday. I received an excellent response from a couple of union members; some were bashing on the door while I was trying to do the opening! We were doing something very important for the people of Fremantle and that region, which was opening the coronary care unit. The unit has moved from where it used to be—that is, attached to the intensive care unit—to its own facilities. Twelve beds have been transferred. An additional six beds are attached — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected . Dr K.D. HAMES : Is the member interjecting on me or her? Ms M.M. Quirk : Her. Dr K.D. HAMES : I am speaking; so perhaps the member can wait until she is speaking and then interject on her! Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : I met the member’s mate. I think he called himself MRSA, which is methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. I met him—I think it was a “him”—when I was there. I said he reminded me more of a norovirus because he gave me the same symptoms! The shadow minister of course knows what symptoms those are, because it is a deadly virus. This priority care unit is extremely important. Under the watch of the minister in 2004 a report was done by Shane Kelly, interestingly enough called the Kelly report! It referred to the number of intensive care beds available in this state. It found that there was a significant deficiency in the number of intensive care beds. The former minister was trying to get those beds, but it was extremely difficult. There was a significant issue with getting funding for the construction and the staff. I am very pleased to say that we have finally got there and that $3.6 million has been spent on moving and significantly upgrading the coronary care unit, and we are now to spend an additional $2.1 million, adding seven extra beds to the 12 that exist in the intensive care unit, and that will be finished early next year. The member for Alfred Cove’s husband, who works in that area at Fremantle Hospital, and others from that department, Dr Lane in particular, said to me that they have had to cancel extremely important waitlist surgery for patients who need an intensive care bed after their surgery, because there is not the bed space available. So this critical surgery in the past has had to be cancelled; in fact, one patient’s operation was cancelled twice. We ended up doing it at the private Mount Hospital to make sure that his operation was not cancelled a third time. There was a critical deficit of intensive care beds. We are getting more at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and we are opening those at Rockingham, but it is critical we get those extra beds. I am very pleased to say that this is the first concrete step in going along that path.
I was very pleased to be down at Fremantle Hospital yesterday. I received an excellent response from a couple of union members; some were bashing on the door while I was trying to do the opening! We were doing something very important for the people of Fremantle and that region, which was opening the coronary care unit. The unit has moved from where it used to be—that is, attached to the intensive care unit—to its own facilities. Twelve beds have been transferred. An additional six beds are attached — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected . Dr K.D. HAMES : Is the member interjecting on me or her? Ms M.M. Quirk : Her. Dr K.D. HAMES : I am speaking; so perhaps the member can wait until she is speaking and then interject on her! Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : I met the member’s mate. I think he called himself MRSA, which is methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. I met him—I think it was a “him”—when I was there. I said he reminded me more of a norovirus because he gave me the same symptoms! The shadow minister of course knows what symptoms those are, because it is a deadly virus. This priority care unit is extremely important. Under the watch of the minister in 2004 a report was done by Shane Kelly, interestingly enough called the Kelly report! It referred to the number of intensive care beds available in this state. It found that there was a significant deficiency in the number of intensive care beds. The former minister was trying to get those beds, but it was extremely difficult. There was a significant issue with getting funding for the construction and the staff. I am very pleased to say that we have finally got there and that $3.6 million has been spent on moving and significantly upgrading the coronary care unit, and we are now to spend an additional $2.1 million, adding seven extra beds to the 12 that exist in the intensive care unit, and that will be finished early next year. The member for Alfred Cove’s husband, who works in that area at Fremantle Hospital, and others from that department, Dr Lane in particular, said to me that they have had to cancel extremely important waitlist surgery for patients who need an intensive care bed after their surgery, because there is not the bed space available. So this critical surgery in the past has had to be cancelled; in fact, one patient’s operation was cancelled twice. We ended up doing it at the private Mount Hospital to make sure that his operation was not cancelled a third time. There was a critical deficit of intensive care beds. We are getting more at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and we are opening those at Rockingham, but it is critical we get those extra beds. I am very pleased to say that this is the first concrete step in going along that path.
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected . Dr K.D. HAMES : Is the member interjecting on me or her? Ms M.M. Quirk : Her. Dr K.D. HAMES : I am speaking; so perhaps the member can wait until she is speaking and then interject on her! Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : I met the member’s mate. I think he called himself MRSA, which is methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. I met him—I think it was a “him”—when I was there. I said he reminded me more of a norovirus because he gave me the same symptoms! The shadow minister of course knows what symptoms those are, because it is a deadly virus. This priority care unit is extremely important. Under the watch of the minister in 2004 a report was done by Shane Kelly, interestingly enough called the Kelly report! It referred to the number of intensive care beds available in this state. It found that there was a significant deficiency in the number of intensive care beds. The former minister was trying to get those beds, but it was extremely difficult. There was a significant issue with getting funding for the construction and the staff. I am very pleased to say that we have finally got there and that $3.6 million has been spent on moving and significantly upgrading the coronary care unit, and we are now to spend an additional $2.1 million, adding seven extra beds to the 12 that exist in the intensive care unit, and that will be finished early next year. The member for Alfred Cove’s husband, who works in that area at Fremantle Hospital, and others from that department, Dr Lane in particular, said to me that they have had to cancel extremely important waitlist surgery for patients who need an intensive care bed after their surgery, because there is not the bed space available. So this critical surgery in the past has had to be cancelled; in fact, one patient’s operation was cancelled twice. We ended up doing it at the private Mount Hospital to make sure that his operation was not cancelled a third time. There was a critical deficit of intensive care beds. We are getting more at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and we are opening those at Rockingham, but it is critical we get those extra beds. I am very pleased to say that this is the first concrete step in going along that path.
Dr K.D. HAMES : Is the member interjecting on me or her? Ms M.M. Quirk : Her. Dr K.D. HAMES : I am speaking; so perhaps the member can wait until she is speaking and then interject on her! Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : I met the member’s mate. I think he called himself MRSA, which is methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. I met him—I think it was a “him”—when I was there. I said he reminded me more of a norovirus because he gave me the same symptoms! The shadow minister of course knows what symptoms those are, because it is a deadly virus. This priority care unit is extremely important. Under the watch of the minister in 2004 a report was done by Shane Kelly, interestingly enough called the Kelly report! It referred to the number of intensive care beds available in this state. It found that there was a significant deficiency in the number of intensive care beds. The former minister was trying to get those beds, but it was extremely difficult. There was a significant issue with getting funding for the construction and the staff. I am very pleased to say that we have finally got there and that $3.6 million has been spent on moving and significantly upgrading the coronary care unit, and we are now to spend an additional $2.1 million, adding seven extra beds to the 12 that exist in the intensive care unit, and that will be finished early next year. The member for Alfred Cove’s husband, who works in that area at Fremantle Hospital, and others from that department, Dr Lane in particular, said to me that they have had to cancel extremely important waitlist surgery for patients who need an intensive care bed after their surgery, because there is not the bed space available. So this critical surgery in the past has had to be cancelled; in fact, one patient’s operation was cancelled twice. We ended up doing it at the private Mount Hospital to make sure that his operation was not cancelled a third time. There was a critical deficit of intensive care beds. We are getting more at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and we are opening those at Rockingham, but it is critical we get those extra beds. I am very pleased to say that this is the first concrete step in going along that path.
Ms M.M. Quirk : Her. Dr K.D. HAMES : I am speaking; so perhaps the member can wait until she is speaking and then interject on her! Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : I met the member’s mate. I think he called himself MRSA, which is methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. I met him—I think it was a “him”—when I was there. I said he reminded me more of a norovirus because he gave me the same symptoms! The shadow minister of course knows what symptoms those are, because it is a deadly virus. This priority care unit is extremely important. Under the watch of the minister in 2004 a report was done by Shane Kelly, interestingly enough called the Kelly report! It referred to the number of intensive care beds available in this state. It found that there was a significant deficiency in the number of intensive care beds. The former minister was trying to get those beds, but it was extremely difficult. There was a significant issue with getting funding for the construction and the staff. I am very pleased to say that we have finally got there and that $3.6 million has been spent on moving and significantly upgrading the coronary care unit, and we are now to spend an additional $2.1 million, adding seven extra beds to the 12 that exist in the intensive care unit, and that will be finished early next year. The member for Alfred Cove’s husband, who works in that area at Fremantle Hospital, and others from that department, Dr Lane in particular, said to me that they have had to cancel extremely important waitlist surgery for patients who need an intensive care bed after their surgery, because there is not the bed space available. So this critical surgery in the past has had to be cancelled; in fact, one patient’s operation was cancelled twice. We ended up doing it at the private Mount Hospital to make sure that his operation was not cancelled a third time. There was a critical deficit of intensive care beds. We are getting more at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and we are opening those at Rockingham, but it is critical we get those extra beds. I am very pleased to say that this is the first concrete step in going along that path.
Dr K.D. HAMES : I am speaking; so perhaps the member can wait until she is speaking and then interject on her! Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : I met the member’s mate. I think he called himself MRSA, which is methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. I met him—I think it was a “him”—when I was there. I said he reminded me more of a norovirus because he gave me the same symptoms! The shadow minister of course knows what symptoms those are, because it is a deadly virus. This priority care unit is extremely important. Under the watch of the minister in 2004 a report was done by Shane Kelly, interestingly enough called the Kelly report! It referred to the number of intensive care beds available in this state. It found that there was a significant deficiency in the number of intensive care beds. The former minister was trying to get those beds, but it was extremely difficult. There was a significant issue with getting funding for the construction and the staff. I am very pleased to say that we have finally got there and that $3.6 million has been spent on moving and significantly upgrading the coronary care unit, and we are now to spend an additional $2.1 million, adding seven extra beds to the 12 that exist in the intensive care unit, and that will be finished early next year. The member for Alfred Cove’s husband, who works in that area at Fremantle Hospital, and others from that department, Dr Lane in particular, said to me that they have had to cancel extremely important waitlist surgery for patients who need an intensive care bed after their surgery, because there is not the bed space available. So this critical surgery in the past has had to be cancelled; in fact, one patient’s operation was cancelled twice. We ended up doing it at the private Mount Hospital to make sure that his operation was not cancelled a third time. There was a critical deficit of intensive care beds. We are getting more at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and we are opening those at Rockingham, but it is critical we get those extra beds. I am very pleased to say that this is the first concrete step in going along that path.
Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : I met the member’s mate. I think he called himself MRSA, which is methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. I met him—I think it was a “him”—when I was there. I said he reminded me more of a norovirus because he gave me the same symptoms! The shadow minister of course knows what symptoms those are, because it is a deadly virus. This priority care unit is extremely important. Under the watch of the minister in 2004 a report was done by Shane Kelly, interestingly enough called the Kelly report! It referred to the number of intensive care beds available in this state. It found that there was a significant deficiency in the number of intensive care beds. The former minister was trying to get those beds, but it was extremely difficult. There was a significant issue with getting funding for the construction and the staff. I am very pleased to say that we have finally got there and that $3.6 million has been spent on moving and significantly upgrading the coronary care unit, and we are now to spend an additional $2.1 million, adding seven extra beds to the 12 that exist in the intensive care unit, and that will be finished early next year. The member for Alfred Cove’s husband, who works in that area at Fremantle Hospital, and others from that department, Dr Lane in particular, said to me that they have had to cancel extremely important waitlist surgery for patients who need an intensive care bed after their surgery, because there is not the bed space available. So this critical surgery in the past has had to be cancelled; in fact, one patient’s operation was cancelled twice. We ended up doing it at the private Mount Hospital to make sure that his operation was not cancelled a third time. There was a critical deficit of intensive care beds. We are getting more at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and we are opening those at Rockingham, but it is critical we get those extra beds. I am very pleased to say that this is the first concrete step in going along that path.
Dr K.D. HAMES : I met the member’s mate. I think he called himself MRSA, which is methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. I met him—I think it was a “him”—when I was there. I said he reminded me more of a norovirus because he gave me the same symptoms! The shadow minister of course knows what symptoms those are, because it is a deadly virus. This priority care unit is extremely important. Under the watch of the minister in 2004 a report was done by Shane Kelly, interestingly enough called the Kelly report! It referred to the number of intensive care beds available in this state. It found that there was a significant deficiency in the number of intensive care beds. The former minister was trying to get those beds, but it was extremely difficult. There was a significant issue with getting funding for the construction and the staff. I am very pleased to say that we have finally got there and that $3.6 million has been spent on moving and significantly upgrading the coronary care unit, and we are now to spend an additional $2.1 million, adding seven extra beds to the 12 that exist in the intensive care unit, and that will be finished early next year. The member for Alfred Cove’s husband, who works in that area at Fremantle Hospital, and others from that department, Dr Lane in particular, said to me that they have had to cancel extremely important waitlist surgery for patients who need an intensive care bed after their surgery, because there is not the bed space available. So this critical surgery in the past has had to be cancelled; in fact, one patient’s operation was cancelled twice. We ended up doing it at the private Mount Hospital to make sure that his operation was not cancelled a third time. There was a critical deficit of intensive care beds. We are getting more at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and we are opening those at Rockingham, but it is critical we get those extra beds. I am very pleased to say that this is the first concrete step in going along that path.
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