HOSPITALS — WARDS
660. Hon JIM CHOWN to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Health:
(1) How many wards in the metropolitan public hospital system
are currently not in use?
(2) For each ward, can the minister please give the reason
why they are not in use?
Hon ALANNA CLOHESY
replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1) At the Child and Adolescent Health Service, nil; at East Metropolitan Health
Service, three; at North Metropolitan Health Service, one; and at South
Metropolitan Health Service, two.
(2) For the Child and Adolescent Health Service: not applicable.
For the East
Metropolitan Health Service: Royal Perth Hospital wards were closed following
transition to Fiona Stanley Hospital, resulting in decreased funding and
activity and, therefore, decreased funded bed stock. The Bentley Hospital ward
has been closed as it is not required for current funded activity.
For the North
Metropolitan Health Service: Selby Lodge in the older adult mental health
service has one eight-bed ward that is not in use. The ward was closed more
than 10 years ago as the beds are not funded.
For the South Metropolitan Health Service: as part of the
reconfiguration of services in the South Metropolitan
Health Service and the opening of Fiona Stanley Hospital, Fremantle Hospital
transitioned from a tertiary hospital to a specialist
hospital. This reduced the requirement for the number of beds at Fremantle
Hospital.