More Surgery and More Beds for WA Thanks to National Health Reform
West Australians will soon see changes take place in the state’s health and hospital system as national health reform starts to deliver more beds and better care.
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18 May 2011
West Australians will soon see changes take place in the state’s health and hospital system as national health reform starts to deliver more beds and better care following an announcement of more than 300 new sub-acute beds and sub-acute bed equivalents amongst a raft of other Gillard Government investments.
Australian Government Minister for Health and Ageing Nicola Roxon and West Australian Deputy Premier and Minister for Health Kim Hames today outlined details of $304 million of Gillard Government investments to improve elective surgery, emergency and sub-acute care across WA.
Minister Roxon explained this investment was part of a total of $351 million of Commonwealth funding, only available to Western Australia after the state committed to national health reform in February this year.
“The benefits for WA from today’s announcement are widespread. Our absolute priority for national health reform is to give hospitals the resources they need for more beds and better care for patients,” Ms Roxon said.
“New operating theatres and equipment are on the way for Osborne Park, Sir Charles Gairdner and Royal Perth Hospitals, helping to provide more elective surgery for West Australians.
“An important part of today’s announcement are the 163 new sub-acute beds and services. These sub-acute beds will play an important role in providing rehabilitation and geriatric services in the community instead of forcing patients into less appropriate acute beds in large acute-care hospitals.
“Mental health services for patients in Emergency Departments will also be bolstered, further backing the Commonwealth’s recent $2.2 billion mental health commitment in the Budget.
“These national health reform investments demonstrate what the Commonwealth and state governments can achieve when they work together to improve our health and hospital system.
“Together, we are helping to provide more elective surgery, increasing access to sub-acute care in local communities and speed up access to care in emergency departments.”
Future announcements will be made on further Commonwealth-funded health and hospital projects for WA—as national health reforms continue to improve and increase the nation’s health services.
For more information, contact the Minister's Office on (02) 6277 7220
WA National Health Reform Implementation Plan Summary
Elective surgery
The Gillard Government will fund improvements in WA’s elective surgery capacity through delivery of the following key projects:
- Two additional operating theatres and surgical centre at Osborne Park Hospital ($33m)
- New intra-operative MRI at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital ($15.6m)
- Expand operating theatre capacity at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital ($7.2m)
- Redeveloped ambulatory surgery centre at Royal Perth Hospital ($4m)
- Purchasing private sector elective surgery capacity to assist reduction in surgical waiting lists ($3.7m)
Sub-acute care services in local communities
More than 300 sub-acute care beds and equivalent services will be delivered through a $166 million investment by the Gillard Government, including:
- Improved integration of the continuum-of-care through more beds and services across the south of Perth:
- 24 beds at Rockingham Hospital, 16 beds at Armadale General Hospital and 18 beds at Bentley Hospital ($52m)
- 86 bed equivalents for community services including falls, psycho-geriatrics, rehabilitation and day therapy. - 30 rehabilitation beds at Joondalup Hospital ($22.1m)
- 60 beds for rehabilitation and geriatric evaluation and management contracted through the non government sector ($30.23m)
- Improved integration of the continuum-of-care at Bunbury and Albany Regional Hospitals, through:
- more than $20 million for 15 rehabilitation bed equivalents and a day therapy unit
- $3.5 million for establishment of two regional primary stroke centres. - More than $7 million from the Commonwealth will fund 19 day-therapy services for paediatric rehabilitation care at Princess Margaret Hospital.
More than $30 million will deliver a number of key projects to support mental health patients in Emergency Departments, including:
- 22-bed unit at the Joondalup Health Campus ($3.2m)
- Six beds at the Broome Regional Hospital ($4.4m)
- Upgrade to the Bentley Adolescent Unit Mental Health facility ($4.5m)
- Expansion of the Broome Regional Hospital ED ($8m)
- Refurbishment of the cardiology and catheter laboratory at Royal Perth Hospital (1.35m)
- Purchase of portable pathology equipment and IT software to support emergency departments ($2.15m)
- Expansion of clinical emergency ultrasound services at Sir Charles Gardner Hospital (0.345m)
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