Hames releases health blueprint for 2020

A 10-year blueprint for the state's public health system has been released today with hospital beds to increase by 30 per cent by 2020 and specialised services to be split between the three main tertiary hospitals for the first time.

Health Minister Kim Hames today said the WA Health Clinical Services Framework 2010-2020 (CSF 2010) described a public health system delivering quality services close to where people live, and meeting the demands of a growing and ageing population.

"This is the first ever comprehensive picture of State-wide clinical services - it provides a vision of where we are going over the next decade and a plan to meet the WA community's health needs," he said.

"The CSF 2010 is a detailed picture of the services to be delivered by WA's network of public hospitals and non-hospital services, and is the major planning document for our health system.

"This framework forms the basis of our clinical service, health infrastructure and workforce plans, as well as feeding into recurrent budget and technology planning.

"Under this blueprint, there will be strong growth in metropolitan hospital bed numbers.

"There will always be some fluctuation with major infrastructure construction times, but under CSF 2010, bed numbers should rise by 574 to reach 4,970 by 2015. Based on projections of community need, we expect metropolitan bed numbers to reach 5,692 by 2021.

"Patients in regional communities will also benefit, with bed numbers at all hospitals to increase or be maintained - reinforcing this Government's commitment to rural health services."

The CSF 2010 outlines the way in which specialised services will be divided between the three main tertiary hospitals for the first time.

"A key element of this blueprint for WA's health system is the State Government's decision to retain Royal Perth Hospital as an inner city, tertiary hospital with a major Emergency Department," the Minister said.

"Royal Perth, Fiona Stanley, Princess Margaret Hospital for Children (PMH) and Sir Charles Gairdner hospitals will deliver state-of-the-art, specialised, tertiary health services."

Royal Perth would provide major trauma services, cardiothoracic surgery, heart and lung transplants, an advanced heart failure unit, tertiary mental health care and a range of medical and surgical services, while retaining its major research centre.

Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital would provide a metropolitan trauma centre, cardiothoracic surgery, liver and kidney transplants, a comprehensive cancer centre, tertiary medical and surgical centres and mental health services.

The new Fiona Stanley Hospital (FSH) would deliver major trauma services, cardiothoracic surgery, kidney transplants, the State burns service, a comprehensive cancer centre, tertiary surgical and medical services and mental health. The FSH would also provide high-level obstetric, neonatal and paediatric services to communities south of the Swan River.

PMH would provide major trauma services to children and comprehensive tertiary paediatric care for the whole of the State.

A new State Rehabilitation Centre on the FSH campus would replace the Royal Perth Rehabilitation Hospital at Shenton Park.

Dr Hames said CSF 2010 continued the major shift in the way hospital services were delivered in metropolitan Perth, with more comprehensive hospital care being delivered in the major suburban population centres, closer to where people live.

"Substantial development work and major service upgrades are planned or in progress at Joondalup and Midland health campuses, Armadale-Kelmscott Memorial Hospital and Rockingham General Hospital," the Minister said.

"Together with Peel Health Campus, these will form a network of five strategically located general hospitals.

"These will deliver the bulk of hospital services that most people require under the one roof, reducing the need for patients to travel between hospitals or into Perth."

The roles of Fremantle, Bentley and Osborne Park hospitals would shift to providing specialised services such as mental health, aged care, rehabilitation and elective surgery.

"Hospitals at Albany, Broome, Bunbury, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Northam and Port Hedland will serve as the hubs for rural health service delivery, with major redevelopments planned or under way at Albany, Kalgoorlie and Hedland," Dr Hames said.

"Significant increases in activity are projected across a range of clinical services in Bunbury and the surrounding region, with a major hospital development underway at Busselton.

"Industry partnerships in the Pilbara will ensure that health services continue to meet the needs of a regional population projected to grow from 44,000 to at least 63,000 by 2021. Service improvements are planned in regional WA to better meet indigenous communities' health needs.

"This plan positions the State to deliver high-quality health services for the entire WA community in the coming decade."

The CSF 2010 is a revised and updated version of the previous Clinical Services Framework released in 2005, and has been expanded to include WA country hospital and health services.

The blueprint was developed through an extensive consultation process and is based on the latest available population projections produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics; information on service use by the community; and extensive consultation and research.