❓ The Minister for Health details the benefits of a new MRI scanner at Royal Perth Hospital, including reduced wait times and improved patient flow, following a $2.2 million investment.
AnsweredQoN 680Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ROYAL PERTH HOSPITAL — MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING SCANNER
As a member of the Liberal–National government that saved Royal Perth Hospital from closure by Labor, I was pleased to learn of the commissioning of a second new MRI scanner at Royal Perth Hospital today. Can the minister advise the house of the benefits to the community this new scanner will bring? Dr K.D. HAMES
As a member of the Liberal–National government that saved Royal Perth Hospital from closure by Labor, I was pleased to learn of the commissioning of a second new MRI scanner at Royal Perth Hospital today. Can the minister advise the house of the benefits to the community this new scanner will bring? Dr K.D. HAMES
AnswerView source ↗
I certainly can. It was fantastic being present at my old hospital to unveil this new MRI scanner. It has been difficult for the staff in the past to get through the increased workload at Royal Perth Hospital with a single scanner. Even though the north ward is the newest hospital component in all our hospitals in the metropolitan area, the facilities available in that area are still quite dated. We have therefore spent $1.5 million on a major upgrade to the X-ray ward itself, which people visit for scans both as inpatients and outpatients; and $2.2 million on a brand-new MRI scanner. The scanner has a couple of good things. One is the larger hole into which people are inserted for a scan. That enables us to cater for a larger patient who needs to go in — Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : Even you, Leader of the Opposition, in your current trim state, would fit in there very easily! It also caters for people who suffer from claustrophobia. Mr T.R. Buswell : What about bike shorts? Mr E.S. Ripper : I give a commitment not to wear lycra! Mr T.R. Buswell : I haven’t. Dr K.D. HAMES : Don’t you start, member for Vasse! A lot of people who get claustrophobia have to be sedated to go into an MRI scanner. That is now not necessary for a lot of patients, as it was in the past, because of the increased space within it. The new scanner is the latest state-of-the-art technology and has made a huge difference to wait times for patients requiring scans. In the past the staff have always been able to accommodate patients requiring an urgent scan, but those whose requirement was less urgent sometimes had to wait in the hospital for a week or a week and a half for their scan. That is now being done within 24 to 36 hours. Also, in the past outpatients from the country needing a non-urgent scan had to go back to the country and wait for up to six months. Now, urgent and semi-urgent scans are done while country patients are on a visit to Perth, and within two to three weeks if they are not urgent. The new scanner has therefore made a big difference. Dr J.M. Woollard : How many child health nurses, minister? Dr K.D. HAMES : How many child health nurses? I do not quite get the connection. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : Management of the child health nurse issue, as the member for Alfred Cove knows, is very close to my heart and is a matter that I have committed on numerous occasions in this house to address. The MRI scanner is not quite as close to my heart but it is certainly extremely necessary for the proper management of patients. There is also our four-hour rule for trying to manage patients. The new scanner does not necessarily address patients in the emergency department, because they do not usually require an urgent MRI scan. However, patients in the hospital who required a scan before going home often had to wait two to three days to get that scan done. Now they can be done in a much shorter time frame, and that will improve the flow of patients through the hospital. I am sure that everyone knows by now that the four-hour rule is not about EDs. It is more about discharge than it is about admission. It is about the flow of patients through the hospital, and the new scanner will make a huge difference in improving that flow. It is therefore a great investment. It shows partially our commitment to the retention of Royal Perth Hospital, and we will see more of that in the future.
Dr K.D. HAMES replied: I certainly can. It was fantastic being present at my old hospital to unveil this new MRI scanner. It has been difficult for the staff in the past to get through the increased workload at Royal Perth Hospital with a single scanner. Even though the north ward is the newest hospital component in all our hospitals in the metropolitan area, the facilities available in that area are still quite dated. We have therefore spent $1.5 million on a major upgrade to the X-ray ward itself, which people visit for scans both as inpatients and outpatients; and $2.2 million on a brand-new MRI scanner. The scanner has a couple of good things. One is the larger hole into which people are inserted for a scan. That enables us to cater for a larger patient who needs to go in — Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : Even you, Leader of the Opposition, in your current trim state, would fit in there very easily! It also caters for people who suffer from claustrophobia. Mr T.R. Buswell : What about bike shorts? Mr E.S. Ripper : I give a commitment not to wear lycra! Mr T.R. Buswell : I haven’t. Dr K.D. HAMES : Don’t you start, member for Vasse! A lot of people who get claustrophobia have to be sedated to go into an MRI scanner. That is now not necessary for a lot of patients, as it was in the past, because of the increased space within it. The new scanner is the latest state-of-the-art technology and has made a huge difference to wait times for patients requiring scans. In the past the staff have always been able to accommodate patients requiring an urgent scan, but those whose requirement was less urgent sometimes had to wait in the hospital for a week or a week and a half for their scan. That is now being done within 24 to 36 hours. Also, in the past outpatients from the country needing a non-urgent scan had to go back to the country and wait for up to six months. Now, urgent and semi-urgent scans are done while country patients are on a visit to Perth, and within two to three weeks if they are not urgent. The new scanner has therefore made a big difference. Dr J.M. Woollard : How many child health nurses, minister? Dr K.D. HAMES : How many child health nurses? I do not quite get the connection. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : Management of the child health nurse issue, as the member for Alfred Cove knows, is very close to my heart and is a matter that I have committed on numerous occasions in this house to address. The MRI scanner is not quite as close to my heart but it is certainly extremely necessary for the proper management of patients. There is also our four-hour rule for trying to manage patients. The new scanner does not necessarily address patients in the emergency department, because they do not usually require an urgent MRI scan. However, patients in the hospital who required a scan before going home often had to wait two to three days to get that scan done. Now they can be done in a much shorter time frame, and that will improve the flow of patients through the hospital. I am sure that everyone knows by now that the four-hour rule is not about EDs. It is more about discharge than it is about admission. It is about the flow of patients through the hospital, and the new scanner will make a huge difference in improving that flow. It is therefore a great investment. It shows partially our commitment to the retention of Royal Perth Hospital, and we will see more of that in the future.
I certainly can. It was fantastic being present at my old hospital to unveil this new MRI scanner. It has been difficult for the staff in the past to get through the increased workload at Royal Perth Hospital with a single scanner. Even though the north ward is the newest hospital component in all our hospitals in the metropolitan area, the facilities available in that area are still quite dated. We have therefore spent $1.5 million on a major upgrade to the X-ray ward itself, which people visit for scans both as inpatients and outpatients; and $2.2 million on a brand-new MRI scanner. The scanner has a couple of good things. One is the larger hole into which people are inserted for a scan. That enables us to cater for a larger patient who needs to go in — Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : Even you, Leader of the Opposition, in your current trim state, would fit in there very easily! It also caters for people who suffer from claustrophobia. Mr T.R. Buswell : What about bike shorts? Mr E.S. Ripper : I give a commitment not to wear lycra! Mr T.R. Buswell : I haven’t. Dr K.D. HAMES : Don’t you start, member for Vasse! A lot of people who get claustrophobia have to be sedated to go into an MRI scanner. That is now not necessary for a lot of patients, as it was in the past, because of the increased space within it. The new scanner is the latest state-of-the-art technology and has made a huge difference to wait times for patients requiring scans. In the past the staff have always been able to accommodate patients requiring an urgent scan, but those whose requirement was less urgent sometimes had to wait in the hospital for a week or a week and a half for their scan. That is now being done within 24 to 36 hours. Also, in the past outpatients from the country needing a non-urgent scan had to go back to the country and wait for up to six months. Now, urgent and semi-urgent scans are done while country patients are on a visit to Perth, and within two to three weeks if they are not urgent. The new scanner has therefore made a big difference. Dr J.M. Woollard : How many child health nurses, minister? Dr K.D. HAMES : How many child health nurses? I do not quite get the connection. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : Management of the child health nurse issue, as the member for Alfred Cove knows, is very close to my heart and is a matter that I have committed on numerous occasions in this house to address. The MRI scanner is not quite as close to my heart but it is certainly extremely necessary for the proper management of patients. There is also our four-hour rule for trying to manage patients. The new scanner does not necessarily address patients in the emergency department, because they do not usually require an urgent MRI scan. However, patients in the hospital who required a scan before going home often had to wait two to three days to get that scan done. Now they can be done in a much shorter time frame, and that will improve the flow of patients through the hospital. I am sure that everyone knows by now that the four-hour rule is not about EDs. It is more about discharge than it is about admission. It is about the flow of patients through the hospital, and the new scanner will make a huge difference in improving that flow. It is therefore a great investment. It shows partially our commitment to the retention of Royal Perth Hospital, and we will see more of that in the future.
Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : Even you, Leader of the Opposition, in your current trim state, would fit in there very easily! It also caters for people who suffer from claustrophobia. Mr T.R. Buswell : What about bike shorts? Mr E.S. Ripper : I give a commitment not to wear lycra! Mr T.R. Buswell : I haven’t. Dr K.D. HAMES : Don’t you start, member for Vasse! A lot of people who get claustrophobia have to be sedated to go into an MRI scanner. That is now not necessary for a lot of patients, as it was in the past, because of the increased space within it. The new scanner is the latest state-of-the-art technology and has made a huge difference to wait times for patients requiring scans. In the past the staff have always been able to accommodate patients requiring an urgent scan, but those whose requirement was less urgent sometimes had to wait in the hospital for a week or a week and a half for their scan. That is now being done within 24 to 36 hours. Also, in the past outpatients from the country needing a non-urgent scan had to go back to the country and wait for up to six months. Now, urgent and semi-urgent scans are done while country patients are on a visit to Perth, and within two to three weeks if they are not urgent. The new scanner has therefore made a big difference. Dr J.M. Woollard : How many child health nurses, minister? Dr K.D. HAMES : How many child health nurses? I do not quite get the connection. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : Management of the child health nurse issue, as the member for Alfred Cove knows, is very close to my heart and is a matter that I have committed on numerous occasions in this house to address. The MRI scanner is not quite as close to my heart but it is certainly extremely necessary for the proper management of patients. There is also our four-hour rule for trying to manage patients. The new scanner does not necessarily address patients in the emergency department, because they do not usually require an urgent MRI scan. However, patients in the hospital who required a scan before going home often had to wait two to three days to get that scan done. Now they can be done in a much shorter time frame, and that will improve the flow of patients through the hospital. I am sure that everyone knows by now that the four-hour rule is not about EDs. It is more about discharge than it is about admission. It is about the flow of patients through the hospital, and the new scanner will make a huge difference in improving that flow. It is therefore a great investment. It shows partially our commitment to the retention of Royal Perth Hospital, and we will see more of that in the future.
Dr K.D. HAMES : Even you, Leader of the Opposition, in your current trim state, would fit in there very easily! It also caters for people who suffer from claustrophobia. Mr T.R. Buswell : What about bike shorts? Mr E.S. Ripper : I give a commitment not to wear lycra! Mr T.R. Buswell : I haven’t. Dr K.D. HAMES : Don’t you start, member for Vasse! A lot of people who get claustrophobia have to be sedated to go into an MRI scanner. That is now not necessary for a lot of patients, as it was in the past, because of the increased space within it. The new scanner is the latest state-of-the-art technology and has made a huge difference to wait times for patients requiring scans. In the past the staff have always been able to accommodate patients requiring an urgent scan, but those whose requirement was less urgent sometimes had to wait in the hospital for a week or a week and a half for their scan. That is now being done within 24 to 36 hours. Also, in the past outpatients from the country needing a non-urgent scan had to go back to the country and wait for up to six months. Now, urgent and semi-urgent scans are done while country patients are on a visit to Perth, and within two to three weeks if they are not urgent. The new scanner has therefore made a big difference. Dr J.M. Woollard : How many child health nurses, minister? Dr K.D. HAMES : How many child health nurses? I do not quite get the connection. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : Management of the child health nurse issue, as the member for Alfred Cove knows, is very close to my heart and is a matter that I have committed on numerous occasions in this house to address. The MRI scanner is not quite as close to my heart but it is certainly extremely necessary for the proper management of patients. There is also our four-hour rule for trying to manage patients. The new scanner does not necessarily address patients in the emergency department, because they do not usually require an urgent MRI scan. However, patients in the hospital who required a scan before going home often had to wait two to three days to get that scan done. Now they can be done in a much shorter time frame, and that will improve the flow of patients through the hospital. I am sure that everyone knows by now that the four-hour rule is not about EDs. It is more about discharge than it is about admission. It is about the flow of patients through the hospital, and the new scanner will make a huge difference in improving that flow. It is therefore a great investment. It shows partially our commitment to the retention of Royal Perth Hospital, and we will see more of that in the future.
Mr T.R. Buswell : What about bike shorts? Mr E.S. Ripper : I give a commitment not to wear lycra! Mr T.R. Buswell : I haven’t. Dr K.D. HAMES : Don’t you start, member for Vasse! A lot of people who get claustrophobia have to be sedated to go into an MRI scanner. That is now not necessary for a lot of patients, as it was in the past, because of the increased space within it. The new scanner is the latest state-of-the-art technology and has made a huge difference to wait times for patients requiring scans. In the past the staff have always been able to accommodate patients requiring an urgent scan, but those whose requirement was less urgent sometimes had to wait in the hospital for a week or a week and a half for their scan. That is now being done within 24 to 36 hours. Also, in the past outpatients from the country needing a non-urgent scan had to go back to the country and wait for up to six months. Now, urgent and semi-urgent scans are done while country patients are on a visit to Perth, and within two to three weeks if they are not urgent. The new scanner has therefore made a big difference. Dr J.M. Woollard : How many child health nurses, minister? Dr K.D. HAMES : How many child health nurses? I do not quite get the connection. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : Management of the child health nurse issue, as the member for Alfred Cove knows, is very close to my heart and is a matter that I have committed on numerous occasions in this house to address. The MRI scanner is not quite as close to my heart but it is certainly extremely necessary for the proper management of patients. There is also our four-hour rule for trying to manage patients. The new scanner does not necessarily address patients in the emergency department, because they do not usually require an urgent MRI scan. However, patients in the hospital who required a scan before going home often had to wait two to three days to get that scan done. Now they can be done in a much shorter time frame, and that will improve the flow of patients through the hospital. I am sure that everyone knows by now that the four-hour rule is not about EDs. It is more about discharge than it is about admission. It is about the flow of patients through the hospital, and the new scanner will make a huge difference in improving that flow. It is therefore a great investment. It shows partially our commitment to the retention of Royal Perth Hospital, and we will see more of that in the future.
Mr E.S. Ripper : I give a commitment not to wear lycra! Mr T.R. Buswell : I haven’t. Dr K.D. HAMES : Don’t you start, member for Vasse! A lot of people who get claustrophobia have to be sedated to go into an MRI scanner. That is now not necessary for a lot of patients, as it was in the past, because of the increased space within it. The new scanner is the latest state-of-the-art technology and has made a huge difference to wait times for patients requiring scans. In the past the staff have always been able to accommodate patients requiring an urgent scan, but those whose requirement was less urgent sometimes had to wait in the hospital for a week or a week and a half for their scan. That is now being done within 24 to 36 hours. Also, in the past outpatients from the country needing a non-urgent scan had to go back to the country and wait for up to six months. Now, urgent and semi-urgent scans are done while country patients are on a visit to Perth, and within two to three weeks if they are not urgent. The new scanner has therefore made a big difference. Dr J.M. Woollard : How many child health nurses, minister? Dr K.D. HAMES : How many child health nurses? I do not quite get the connection. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : Management of the child health nurse issue, as the member for Alfred Cove knows, is very close to my heart and is a matter that I have committed on numerous occasions in this house to address. The MRI scanner is not quite as close to my heart but it is certainly extremely necessary for the proper management of patients. There is also our four-hour rule for trying to manage patients. The new scanner does not necessarily address patients in the emergency department, because they do not usually require an urgent MRI scan. However, patients in the hospital who required a scan before going home often had to wait two to three days to get that scan done. Now they can be done in a much shorter time frame, and that will improve the flow of patients through the hospital. I am sure that everyone knows by now that the four-hour rule is not about EDs. It is more about discharge than it is about admission. It is about the flow of patients through the hospital, and the new scanner will make a huge difference in improving that flow. It is therefore a great investment. It shows partially our commitment to the retention of Royal Perth Hospital, and we will see more of that in the future.
Mr T.R. Buswell : I haven’t. Dr K.D. HAMES : Don’t you start, member for Vasse! A lot of people who get claustrophobia have to be sedated to go into an MRI scanner. That is now not necessary for a lot of patients, as it was in the past, because of the increased space within it. The new scanner is the latest state-of-the-art technology and has made a huge difference to wait times for patients requiring scans. In the past the staff have always been able to accommodate patients requiring an urgent scan, but those whose requirement was less urgent sometimes had to wait in the hospital for a week or a week and a half for their scan. That is now being done within 24 to 36 hours. Also, in the past outpatients from the country needing a non-urgent scan had to go back to the country and wait for up to six months. Now, urgent and semi-urgent scans are done while country patients are on a visit to Perth, and within two to three weeks if they are not urgent. The new scanner has therefore made a big difference. Dr J.M. Woollard : How many child health nurses, minister? Dr K.D. HAMES : How many child health nurses? I do not quite get the connection. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : Management of the child health nurse issue, as the member for Alfred Cove knows, is very close to my heart and is a matter that I have committed on numerous occasions in this house to address. The MRI scanner is not quite as close to my heart but it is certainly extremely necessary for the proper management of patients. There is also our four-hour rule for trying to manage patients. The new scanner does not necessarily address patients in the emergency department, because they do not usually require an urgent MRI scan. However, patients in the hospital who required a scan before going home often had to wait two to three days to get that scan done. Now they can be done in a much shorter time frame, and that will improve the flow of patients through the hospital. I am sure that everyone knows by now that the four-hour rule is not about EDs. It is more about discharge than it is about admission. It is about the flow of patients through the hospital, and the new scanner will make a huge difference in improving that flow. It is therefore a great investment. It shows partially our commitment to the retention of Royal Perth Hospital, and we will see more of that in the future.
Dr K.D. HAMES : Don’t you start, member for Vasse! A lot of people who get claustrophobia have to be sedated to go into an MRI scanner. That is now not necessary for a lot of patients, as it was in the past, because of the increased space within it. The new scanner is the latest state-of-the-art technology and has made a huge difference to wait times for patients requiring scans. In the past the staff have always been able to accommodate patients requiring an urgent scan, but those whose requirement was less urgent sometimes had to wait in the hospital for a week or a week and a half for their scan. That is now being done within 24 to 36 hours. Also, in the past outpatients from the country needing a non-urgent scan had to go back to the country and wait for up to six months. Now, urgent and semi-urgent scans are done while country patients are on a visit to Perth, and within two to three weeks if they are not urgent. The new scanner has therefore made a big difference. Dr J.M. Woollard : How many child health nurses, minister? Dr K.D. HAMES : How many child health nurses? I do not quite get the connection. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : Management of the child health nurse issue, as the member for Alfred Cove knows, is very close to my heart and is a matter that I have committed on numerous occasions in this house to address. The MRI scanner is not quite as close to my heart but it is certainly extremely necessary for the proper management of patients. There is also our four-hour rule for trying to manage patients. The new scanner does not necessarily address patients in the emergency department, because they do not usually require an urgent MRI scan. However, patients in the hospital who required a scan before going home often had to wait two to three days to get that scan done. Now they can be done in a much shorter time frame, and that will improve the flow of patients through the hospital. I am sure that everyone knows by now that the four-hour rule is not about EDs. It is more about discharge than it is about admission. It is about the flow of patients through the hospital, and the new scanner will make a huge difference in improving that flow. It is therefore a great investment. It shows partially our commitment to the retention of Royal Perth Hospital, and we will see more of that in the future.
A lot of people who get claustrophobia have to be sedated to go into an MRI scanner. That is now not necessary for a lot of patients, as it was in the past, because of the increased space within it. The new scanner is the latest state-of-the-art technology and has made a huge difference to wait times for patients requiring scans. In the past the staff have always been able to accommodate patients requiring an urgent scan, but those whose requirement was less urgent sometimes had to wait in the hospital for a week or a week and a half for their scan. That is now being done within 24 to 36 hours. Also, in the past outpatients from the country needing a non-urgent scan had to go back to the country and wait for up to six months. Now, urgent and semi-urgent scans are done while country patients are on a visit to Perth, and within two to three weeks if they are not urgent. The new scanner has therefore made a big difference. Dr J.M. Woollard : How many child health nurses, minister? Dr K.D. HAMES : How many child health nurses? I do not quite get the connection. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : Management of the child health nurse issue, as the member for Alfred Cove knows, is very close to my heart and is a matter that I have committed on numerous occasions in this house to address. The MRI scanner is not quite as close to my heart but it is certainly extremely necessary for the proper management of patients. There is also our four-hour rule for trying to manage patients. The new scanner does not necessarily address patients in the emergency department, because they do not usually require an urgent MRI scan. However, patients in the hospital who required a scan before going home often had to wait two to three days to get that scan done. Now they can be done in a much shorter time frame, and that will improve the flow of patients through the hospital. I am sure that everyone knows by now that the four-hour rule is not about EDs. It is more about discharge than it is about admission. It is about the flow of patients through the hospital, and the new scanner will make a huge difference in improving that flow. It is therefore a great investment. It shows partially our commitment to the retention of Royal Perth Hospital, and we will see more of that in the future.
Dr J.M. Woollard : How many child health nurses, minister? Dr K.D. HAMES : How many child health nurses? I do not quite get the connection. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : Management of the child health nurse issue, as the member for Alfred Cove knows, is very close to my heart and is a matter that I have committed on numerous occasions in this house to address. The MRI scanner is not quite as close to my heart but it is certainly extremely necessary for the proper management of patients. There is also our four-hour rule for trying to manage patients. The new scanner does not necessarily address patients in the emergency department, because they do not usually require an urgent MRI scan. However, patients in the hospital who required a scan before going home often had to wait two to three days to get that scan done. Now they can be done in a much shorter time frame, and that will improve the flow of patients through the hospital. I am sure that everyone knows by now that the four-hour rule is not about EDs. It is more about discharge than it is about admission. It is about the flow of patients through the hospital, and the new scanner will make a huge difference in improving that flow. It is therefore a great investment. It shows partially our commitment to the retention of Royal Perth Hospital, and we will see more of that in the future.
Dr K.D. HAMES : How many child health nurses? I do not quite get the connection. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : Management of the child health nurse issue, as the member for Alfred Cove knows, is very close to my heart and is a matter that I have committed on numerous occasions in this house to address. The MRI scanner is not quite as close to my heart but it is certainly extremely necessary for the proper management of patients. There is also our four-hour rule for trying to manage patients. The new scanner does not necessarily address patients in the emergency department, because they do not usually require an urgent MRI scan. However, patients in the hospital who required a scan before going home often had to wait two to three days to get that scan done. Now they can be done in a much shorter time frame, and that will improve the flow of patients through the hospital. I am sure that everyone knows by now that the four-hour rule is not about EDs. It is more about discharge than it is about admission. It is about the flow of patients through the hospital, and the new scanner will make a huge difference in improving that flow. It is therefore a great investment. It shows partially our commitment to the retention of Royal Perth Hospital, and we will see more of that in the future.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : Management of the child health nurse issue, as the member for Alfred Cove knows, is very close to my heart and is a matter that I have committed on numerous occasions in this house to address. The MRI scanner is not quite as close to my heart but it is certainly extremely necessary for the proper management of patients. There is also our four-hour rule for trying to manage patients. The new scanner does not necessarily address patients in the emergency department, because they do not usually require an urgent MRI scan. However, patients in the hospital who required a scan before going home often had to wait two to three days to get that scan done. Now they can be done in a much shorter time frame, and that will improve the flow of patients through the hospital. I am sure that everyone knows by now that the four-hour rule is not about EDs. It is more about discharge than it is about admission. It is about the flow of patients through the hospital, and the new scanner will make a huge difference in improving that flow. It is therefore a great investment. It shows partially our commitment to the retention of Royal Perth Hospital, and we will see more of that in the future.
The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : Management of the child health nurse issue, as the member for Alfred Cove knows, is very close to my heart and is a matter that I have committed on numerous occasions in this house to address. The MRI scanner is not quite as close to my heart but it is certainly extremely necessary for the proper management of patients. There is also our four-hour rule for trying to manage patients. The new scanner does not necessarily address patients in the emergency department, because they do not usually require an urgent MRI scan. However, patients in the hospital who required a scan before going home often had to wait two to three days to get that scan done. Now they can be done in a much shorter time frame, and that will improve the flow of patients through the hospital. I am sure that everyone knows by now that the four-hour rule is not about EDs. It is more about discharge than it is about admission. It is about the flow of patients through the hospital, and the new scanner will make a huge difference in improving that flow. It is therefore a great investment. It shows partially our commitment to the retention of Royal Perth Hospital, and we will see more of that in the future.
Dr K.D. HAMES : Management of the child health nurse issue, as the member for Alfred Cove knows, is very close to my heart and is a matter that I have committed on numerous occasions in this house to address. The MRI scanner is not quite as close to my heart but it is certainly extremely necessary for the proper management of patients. There is also our four-hour rule for trying to manage patients. The new scanner does not necessarily address patients in the emergency department, because they do not usually require an urgent MRI scan. However, patients in the hospital who required a scan before going home often had to wait two to three days to get that scan done. Now they can be done in a much shorter time frame, and that will improve the flow of patients through the hospital. I am sure that everyone knows by now that the four-hour rule is not about EDs. It is more about discharge than it is about admission. It is about the flow of patients through the hospital, and the new scanner will make a huge difference in improving that flow. It is therefore a great investment. It shows partially our commitment to the retention of Royal Perth Hospital, and we will see more of that in the future.
Dr K.D. HAMES replied: I certainly can. It was fantastic being present at my old hospital to unveil this new MRI scanner. It has been difficult for the staff in the past to get through the increased workload at Royal Perth Hospital with a single scanner. Even though the north ward is the newest hospital component in all our hospitals in the metropolitan area, the facilities available in that area are still quite dated. We have therefore spent $1.5 million on a major upgrade to the X-ray ward itself, which people visit for scans both as inpatients and outpatients; and $2.2 million on a brand-new MRI scanner. The scanner has a couple of good things. One is the larger hole into which people are inserted for a scan. That enables us to cater for a larger patient who needs to go in — Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : Even you, Leader of the Opposition, in your current trim state, would fit in there very easily! It also caters for people who suffer from claustrophobia. Mr T.R. Buswell : What about bike shorts? Mr E.S. Ripper : I give a commitment not to wear lycra! Mr T.R. Buswell : I haven’t. Dr K.D. HAMES : Don’t you start, member for Vasse! A lot of people who get claustrophobia have to be sedated to go into an MRI scanner. That is now not necessary for a lot of patients, as it was in the past, because of the increased space within it. The new scanner is the latest state-of-the-art technology and has made a huge difference to wait times for patients requiring scans. In the past the staff have always been able to accommodate patients requiring an urgent scan, but those whose requirement was less urgent sometimes had to wait in the hospital for a week or a week and a half for their scan. That is now being done within 24 to 36 hours. Also, in the past outpatients from the country needing a non-urgent scan had to go back to the country and wait for up to six months. Now, urgent and semi-urgent scans are done while country patients are on a visit to Perth, and within two to three weeks if they are not urgent. The new scanner has therefore made a big difference. Dr J.M. Woollard : How many child health nurses, minister? Dr K.D. HAMES : How many child health nurses? I do not quite get the connection. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : Management of the child health nurse issue, as the member for Alfred Cove knows, is very close to my heart and is a matter that I have committed on numerous occasions in this house to address. The MRI scanner is not quite as close to my heart but it is certainly extremely necessary for the proper management of patients. There is also our four-hour rule for trying to manage patients. The new scanner does not necessarily address patients in the emergency department, because they do not usually require an urgent MRI scan. However, patients in the hospital who required a scan before going home often had to wait two to three days to get that scan done. Now they can be done in a much shorter time frame, and that will improve the flow of patients through the hospital. I am sure that everyone knows by now that the four-hour rule is not about EDs. It is more about discharge than it is about admission. It is about the flow of patients through the hospital, and the new scanner will make a huge difference in improving that flow. It is therefore a great investment. It shows partially our commitment to the retention of Royal Perth Hospital, and we will see more of that in the future.
I certainly can. It was fantastic being present at my old hospital to unveil this new MRI scanner. It has been difficult for the staff in the past to get through the increased workload at Royal Perth Hospital with a single scanner. Even though the north ward is the newest hospital component in all our hospitals in the metropolitan area, the facilities available in that area are still quite dated. We have therefore spent $1.5 million on a major upgrade to the X-ray ward itself, which people visit for scans both as inpatients and outpatients; and $2.2 million on a brand-new MRI scanner. The scanner has a couple of good things. One is the larger hole into which people are inserted for a scan. That enables us to cater for a larger patient who needs to go in — Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : Even you, Leader of the Opposition, in your current trim state, would fit in there very easily! It also caters for people who suffer from claustrophobia. Mr T.R. Buswell : What about bike shorts? Mr E.S. Ripper : I give a commitment not to wear lycra! Mr T.R. Buswell : I haven’t. Dr K.D. HAMES : Don’t you start, member for Vasse! A lot of people who get claustrophobia have to be sedated to go into an MRI scanner. That is now not necessary for a lot of patients, as it was in the past, because of the increased space within it. The new scanner is the latest state-of-the-art technology and has made a huge difference to wait times for patients requiring scans. In the past the staff have always been able to accommodate patients requiring an urgent scan, but those whose requirement was less urgent sometimes had to wait in the hospital for a week or a week and a half for their scan. That is now being done within 24 to 36 hours. Also, in the past outpatients from the country needing a non-urgent scan had to go back to the country and wait for up to six months. Now, urgent and semi-urgent scans are done while country patients are on a visit to Perth, and within two to three weeks if they are not urgent. The new scanner has therefore made a big difference. Dr J.M. Woollard : How many child health nurses, minister? Dr K.D. HAMES : How many child health nurses? I do not quite get the connection. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : Management of the child health nurse issue, as the member for Alfred Cove knows, is very close to my heart and is a matter that I have committed on numerous occasions in this house to address. The MRI scanner is not quite as close to my heart but it is certainly extremely necessary for the proper management of patients. There is also our four-hour rule for trying to manage patients. The new scanner does not necessarily address patients in the emergency department, because they do not usually require an urgent MRI scan. However, patients in the hospital who required a scan before going home often had to wait two to three days to get that scan done. Now they can be done in a much shorter time frame, and that will improve the flow of patients through the hospital. I am sure that everyone knows by now that the four-hour rule is not about EDs. It is more about discharge than it is about admission. It is about the flow of patients through the hospital, and the new scanner will make a huge difference in improving that flow. It is therefore a great investment. It shows partially our commitment to the retention of Royal Perth Hospital, and we will see more of that in the future.
Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : Even you, Leader of the Opposition, in your current trim state, would fit in there very easily! It also caters for people who suffer from claustrophobia. Mr T.R. Buswell : What about bike shorts? Mr E.S. Ripper : I give a commitment not to wear lycra! Mr T.R. Buswell : I haven’t. Dr K.D. HAMES : Don’t you start, member for Vasse! A lot of people who get claustrophobia have to be sedated to go into an MRI scanner. That is now not necessary for a lot of patients, as it was in the past, because of the increased space within it. The new scanner is the latest state-of-the-art technology and has made a huge difference to wait times for patients requiring scans. In the past the staff have always been able to accommodate patients requiring an urgent scan, but those whose requirement was less urgent sometimes had to wait in the hospital for a week or a week and a half for their scan. That is now being done within 24 to 36 hours. Also, in the past outpatients from the country needing a non-urgent scan had to go back to the country and wait for up to six months. Now, urgent and semi-urgent scans are done while country patients are on a visit to Perth, and within two to three weeks if they are not urgent. The new scanner has therefore made a big difference. Dr J.M. Woollard : How many child health nurses, minister? Dr K.D. HAMES : How many child health nurses? I do not quite get the connection. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : Management of the child health nurse issue, as the member for Alfred Cove knows, is very close to my heart and is a matter that I have committed on numerous occasions in this house to address. The MRI scanner is not quite as close to my heart but it is certainly extremely necessary for the proper management of patients. There is also our four-hour rule for trying to manage patients. The new scanner does not necessarily address patients in the emergency department, because they do not usually require an urgent MRI scan. However, patients in the hospital who required a scan before going home often had to wait two to three days to get that scan done. Now they can be done in a much shorter time frame, and that will improve the flow of patients through the hospital. I am sure that everyone knows by now that the four-hour rule is not about EDs. It is more about discharge than it is about admission. It is about the flow of patients through the hospital, and the new scanner will make a huge difference in improving that flow. It is therefore a great investment. It shows partially our commitment to the retention of Royal Perth Hospital, and we will see more of that in the future.
Dr K.D. HAMES : Even you, Leader of the Opposition, in your current trim state, would fit in there very easily! It also caters for people who suffer from claustrophobia. Mr T.R. Buswell : What about bike shorts? Mr E.S. Ripper : I give a commitment not to wear lycra! Mr T.R. Buswell : I haven’t. Dr K.D. HAMES : Don’t you start, member for Vasse! A lot of people who get claustrophobia have to be sedated to go into an MRI scanner. That is now not necessary for a lot of patients, as it was in the past, because of the increased space within it. The new scanner is the latest state-of-the-art technology and has made a huge difference to wait times for patients requiring scans. In the past the staff have always been able to accommodate patients requiring an urgent scan, but those whose requirement was less urgent sometimes had to wait in the hospital for a week or a week and a half for their scan. That is now being done within 24 to 36 hours. Also, in the past outpatients from the country needing a non-urgent scan had to go back to the country and wait for up to six months. Now, urgent and semi-urgent scans are done while country patients are on a visit to Perth, and within two to three weeks if they are not urgent. The new scanner has therefore made a big difference. Dr J.M. Woollard : How many child health nurses, minister? Dr K.D. HAMES : How many child health nurses? I do not quite get the connection. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : Management of the child health nurse issue, as the member for Alfred Cove knows, is very close to my heart and is a matter that I have committed on numerous occasions in this house to address. The MRI scanner is not quite as close to my heart but it is certainly extremely necessary for the proper management of patients. There is also our four-hour rule for trying to manage patients. The new scanner does not necessarily address patients in the emergency department, because they do not usually require an urgent MRI scan. However, patients in the hospital who required a scan before going home often had to wait two to three days to get that scan done. Now they can be done in a much shorter time frame, and that will improve the flow of patients through the hospital. I am sure that everyone knows by now that the four-hour rule is not about EDs. It is more about discharge than it is about admission. It is about the flow of patients through the hospital, and the new scanner will make a huge difference in improving that flow. It is therefore a great investment. It shows partially our commitment to the retention of Royal Perth Hospital, and we will see more of that in the future.
Mr T.R. Buswell : What about bike shorts? Mr E.S. Ripper : I give a commitment not to wear lycra! Mr T.R. Buswell : I haven’t. Dr K.D. HAMES : Don’t you start, member for Vasse! A lot of people who get claustrophobia have to be sedated to go into an MRI scanner. That is now not necessary for a lot of patients, as it was in the past, because of the increased space within it. The new scanner is the latest state-of-the-art technology and has made a huge difference to wait times for patients requiring scans. In the past the staff have always been able to accommodate patients requiring an urgent scan, but those whose requirement was less urgent sometimes had to wait in the hospital for a week or a week and a half for their scan. That is now being done within 24 to 36 hours. Also, in the past outpatients from the country needing a non-urgent scan had to go back to the country and wait for up to six months. Now, urgent and semi-urgent scans are done while country patients are on a visit to Perth, and within two to three weeks if they are not urgent. The new scanner has therefore made a big difference. Dr J.M. Woollard : How many child health nurses, minister? Dr K.D. HAMES : How many child health nurses? I do not quite get the connection. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : Management of the child health nurse issue, as the member for Alfred Cove knows, is very close to my heart and is a matter that I have committed on numerous occasions in this house to address. The MRI scanner is not quite as close to my heart but it is certainly extremely necessary for the proper management of patients. There is also our four-hour rule for trying to manage patients. The new scanner does not necessarily address patients in the emergency department, because they do not usually require an urgent MRI scan. However, patients in the hospital who required a scan before going home often had to wait two to three days to get that scan done. Now they can be done in a much shorter time frame, and that will improve the flow of patients through the hospital. I am sure that everyone knows by now that the four-hour rule is not about EDs. It is more about discharge than it is about admission. It is about the flow of patients through the hospital, and the new scanner will make a huge difference in improving that flow. It is therefore a great investment. It shows partially our commitment to the retention of Royal Perth Hospital, and we will see more of that in the future.
Mr E.S. Ripper : I give a commitment not to wear lycra! Mr T.R. Buswell : I haven’t. Dr K.D. HAMES : Don’t you start, member for Vasse! A lot of people who get claustrophobia have to be sedated to go into an MRI scanner. That is now not necessary for a lot of patients, as it was in the past, because of the increased space within it. The new scanner is the latest state-of-the-art technology and has made a huge difference to wait times for patients requiring scans. In the past the staff have always been able to accommodate patients requiring an urgent scan, but those whose requirement was less urgent sometimes had to wait in the hospital for a week or a week and a half for their scan. That is now being done within 24 to 36 hours. Also, in the past outpatients from the country needing a non-urgent scan had to go back to the country and wait for up to six months. Now, urgent and semi-urgent scans are done while country patients are on a visit to Perth, and within two to three weeks if they are not urgent. The new scanner has therefore made a big difference. Dr J.M. Woollard : How many child health nurses, minister? Dr K.D. HAMES : How many child health nurses? I do not quite get the connection. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : Management of the child health nurse issue, as the member for Alfred Cove knows, is very close to my heart and is a matter that I have committed on numerous occasions in this house to address. The MRI scanner is not quite as close to my heart but it is certainly extremely necessary for the proper management of patients. There is also our four-hour rule for trying to manage patients. The new scanner does not necessarily address patients in the emergency department, because they do not usually require an urgent MRI scan. However, patients in the hospital who required a scan before going home often had to wait two to three days to get that scan done. Now they can be done in a much shorter time frame, and that will improve the flow of patients through the hospital. I am sure that everyone knows by now that the four-hour rule is not about EDs. It is more about discharge than it is about admission. It is about the flow of patients through the hospital, and the new scanner will make a huge difference in improving that flow. It is therefore a great investment. It shows partially our commitment to the retention of Royal Perth Hospital, and we will see more of that in the future.
Mr T.R. Buswell : I haven’t. Dr K.D. HAMES : Don’t you start, member for Vasse! A lot of people who get claustrophobia have to be sedated to go into an MRI scanner. That is now not necessary for a lot of patients, as it was in the past, because of the increased space within it. The new scanner is the latest state-of-the-art technology and has made a huge difference to wait times for patients requiring scans. In the past the staff have always been able to accommodate patients requiring an urgent scan, but those whose requirement was less urgent sometimes had to wait in the hospital for a week or a week and a half for their scan. That is now being done within 24 to 36 hours. Also, in the past outpatients from the country needing a non-urgent scan had to go back to the country and wait for up to six months. Now, urgent and semi-urgent scans are done while country patients are on a visit to Perth, and within two to three weeks if they are not urgent. The new scanner has therefore made a big difference. Dr J.M. Woollard : How many child health nurses, minister? Dr K.D. HAMES : How many child health nurses? I do not quite get the connection. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : Management of the child health nurse issue, as the member for Alfred Cove knows, is very close to my heart and is a matter that I have committed on numerous occasions in this house to address. The MRI scanner is not quite as close to my heart but it is certainly extremely necessary for the proper management of patients. There is also our four-hour rule for trying to manage patients. The new scanner does not necessarily address patients in the emergency department, because they do not usually require an urgent MRI scan. However, patients in the hospital who required a scan before going home often had to wait two to three days to get that scan done. Now they can be done in a much shorter time frame, and that will improve the flow of patients through the hospital. I am sure that everyone knows by now that the four-hour rule is not about EDs. It is more about discharge than it is about admission. It is about the flow of patients through the hospital, and the new scanner will make a huge difference in improving that flow. It is therefore a great investment. It shows partially our commitment to the retention of Royal Perth Hospital, and we will see more of that in the future.
Dr K.D. HAMES : Don’t you start, member for Vasse! A lot of people who get claustrophobia have to be sedated to go into an MRI scanner. That is now not necessary for a lot of patients, as it was in the past, because of the increased space within it. The new scanner is the latest state-of-the-art technology and has made a huge difference to wait times for patients requiring scans. In the past the staff have always been able to accommodate patients requiring an urgent scan, but those whose requirement was less urgent sometimes had to wait in the hospital for a week or a week and a half for their scan. That is now being done within 24 to 36 hours. Also, in the past outpatients from the country needing a non-urgent scan had to go back to the country and wait for up to six months. Now, urgent and semi-urgent scans are done while country patients are on a visit to Perth, and within two to three weeks if they are not urgent. The new scanner has therefore made a big difference. Dr J.M. Woollard : How many child health nurses, minister? Dr K.D. HAMES : How many child health nurses? I do not quite get the connection. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : Management of the child health nurse issue, as the member for Alfred Cove knows, is very close to my heart and is a matter that I have committed on numerous occasions in this house to address. The MRI scanner is not quite as close to my heart but it is certainly extremely necessary for the proper management of patients. There is also our four-hour rule for trying to manage patients. The new scanner does not necessarily address patients in the emergency department, because they do not usually require an urgent MRI scan. However, patients in the hospital who required a scan before going home often had to wait two to three days to get that scan done. Now they can be done in a much shorter time frame, and that will improve the flow of patients through the hospital. I am sure that everyone knows by now that the four-hour rule is not about EDs. It is more about discharge than it is about admission. It is about the flow of patients through the hospital, and the new scanner will make a huge difference in improving that flow. It is therefore a great investment. It shows partially our commitment to the retention of Royal Perth Hospital, and we will see more of that in the future.
A lot of people who get claustrophobia have to be sedated to go into an MRI scanner. That is now not necessary for a lot of patients, as it was in the past, because of the increased space within it. The new scanner is the latest state-of-the-art technology and has made a huge difference to wait times for patients requiring scans. In the past the staff have always been able to accommodate patients requiring an urgent scan, but those whose requirement was less urgent sometimes had to wait in the hospital for a week or a week and a half for their scan. That is now being done within 24 to 36 hours. Also, in the past outpatients from the country needing a non-urgent scan had to go back to the country and wait for up to six months. Now, urgent and semi-urgent scans are done while country patients are on a visit to Perth, and within two to three weeks if they are not urgent. The new scanner has therefore made a big difference. Dr J.M. Woollard : How many child health nurses, minister? Dr K.D. HAMES : How many child health nurses? I do not quite get the connection. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : Management of the child health nurse issue, as the member for Alfred Cove knows, is very close to my heart and is a matter that I have committed on numerous occasions in this house to address. The MRI scanner is not quite as close to my heart but it is certainly extremely necessary for the proper management of patients. There is also our four-hour rule for trying to manage patients. The new scanner does not necessarily address patients in the emergency department, because they do not usually require an urgent MRI scan. However, patients in the hospital who required a scan before going home often had to wait two to three days to get that scan done. Now they can be done in a much shorter time frame, and that will improve the flow of patients through the hospital. I am sure that everyone knows by now that the four-hour rule is not about EDs. It is more about discharge than it is about admission. It is about the flow of patients through the hospital, and the new scanner will make a huge difference in improving that flow. It is therefore a great investment. It shows partially our commitment to the retention of Royal Perth Hospital, and we will see more of that in the future.
Dr J.M. Woollard : How many child health nurses, minister? Dr K.D. HAMES : How many child health nurses? I do not quite get the connection. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : Management of the child health nurse issue, as the member for Alfred Cove knows, is very close to my heart and is a matter that I have committed on numerous occasions in this house to address. The MRI scanner is not quite as close to my heart but it is certainly extremely necessary for the proper management of patients. There is also our four-hour rule for trying to manage patients. The new scanner does not necessarily address patients in the emergency department, because they do not usually require an urgent MRI scan. However, patients in the hospital who required a scan before going home often had to wait two to three days to get that scan done. Now they can be done in a much shorter time frame, and that will improve the flow of patients through the hospital. I am sure that everyone knows by now that the four-hour rule is not about EDs. It is more about discharge than it is about admission. It is about the flow of patients through the hospital, and the new scanner will make a huge difference in improving that flow. It is therefore a great investment. It shows partially our commitment to the retention of Royal Perth Hospital, and we will see more of that in the future.
Dr K.D. HAMES : How many child health nurses? I do not quite get the connection. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : Management of the child health nurse issue, as the member for Alfred Cove knows, is very close to my heart and is a matter that I have committed on numerous occasions in this house to address. The MRI scanner is not quite as close to my heart but it is certainly extremely necessary for the proper management of patients. There is also our four-hour rule for trying to manage patients. The new scanner does not necessarily address patients in the emergency department, because they do not usually require an urgent MRI scan. However, patients in the hospital who required a scan before going home often had to wait two to three days to get that scan done. Now they can be done in a much shorter time frame, and that will improve the flow of patients through the hospital. I am sure that everyone knows by now that the four-hour rule is not about EDs. It is more about discharge than it is about admission. It is about the flow of patients through the hospital, and the new scanner will make a huge difference in improving that flow. It is therefore a great investment. It shows partially our commitment to the retention of Royal Perth Hospital, and we will see more of that in the future.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : Management of the child health nurse issue, as the member for Alfred Cove knows, is very close to my heart and is a matter that I have committed on numerous occasions in this house to address. The MRI scanner is not quite as close to my heart but it is certainly extremely necessary for the proper management of patients. There is also our four-hour rule for trying to manage patients. The new scanner does not necessarily address patients in the emergency department, because they do not usually require an urgent MRI scan. However, patients in the hospital who required a scan before going home often had to wait two to three days to get that scan done. Now they can be done in a much shorter time frame, and that will improve the flow of patients through the hospital. I am sure that everyone knows by now that the four-hour rule is not about EDs. It is more about discharge than it is about admission. It is about the flow of patients through the hospital, and the new scanner will make a huge difference in improving that flow. It is therefore a great investment. It shows partially our commitment to the retention of Royal Perth Hospital, and we will see more of that in the future.
The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : Management of the child health nurse issue, as the member for Alfred Cove knows, is very close to my heart and is a matter that I have committed on numerous occasions in this house to address. The MRI scanner is not quite as close to my heart but it is certainly extremely necessary for the proper management of patients. There is also our four-hour rule for trying to manage patients. The new scanner does not necessarily address patients in the emergency department, because they do not usually require an urgent MRI scan. However, patients in the hospital who required a scan before going home often had to wait two to three days to get that scan done. Now they can be done in a much shorter time frame, and that will improve the flow of patients through the hospital. I am sure that everyone knows by now that the four-hour rule is not about EDs. It is more about discharge than it is about admission. It is about the flow of patients through the hospital, and the new scanner will make a huge difference in improving that flow. It is therefore a great investment. It shows partially our commitment to the retention of Royal Perth Hospital, and we will see more of that in the future.
Dr K.D. HAMES : Management of the child health nurse issue, as the member for Alfred Cove knows, is very close to my heart and is a matter that I have committed on numerous occasions in this house to address. The MRI scanner is not quite as close to my heart but it is certainly extremely necessary for the proper management of patients. There is also our four-hour rule for trying to manage patients. The new scanner does not necessarily address patients in the emergency department, because they do not usually require an urgent MRI scan. However, patients in the hospital who required a scan before going home often had to wait two to three days to get that scan done. Now they can be done in a much shorter time frame, and that will improve the flow of patients through the hospital. I am sure that everyone knows by now that the four-hour rule is not about EDs. It is more about discharge than it is about admission. It is about the flow of patients through the hospital, and the new scanner will make a huge difference in improving that flow. It is therefore a great investment. It shows partially our commitment to the retention of Royal Perth Hospital, and we will see more of that in the future.
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