Liberal candidate Andrew Partington has upped the pressure on sitting Albany MLA Peter Watson over the Government’s plans to redevelop Albany Hospital.

Mr Partington said he was upset by Mr Watson’s claims he had intentionally mislead the community in his call for a new hospital to be built, instead of settling for a upgrade of facilities.

He said Mr Watson also wanted a new hospital but was toeing the Labour Party line for the redevelopment option.

“He’s made those comments that I am misleading people. I have got to say I am pretty upset about it because I haven’t mislead anyone,” Mr Partington said.

He claimed Mr Watson had tried to confuse the community because he had no previous knowledge of reports on redevelopment options by Peter Hunt and Lyons commissioned by the Health Department.

He said a leaked redevelopment report had recommended a new hospital be built but Health Minister Jim McGinty had opted for a cheaper $50 million redevelopment.

“It’s only after this report comes to light that suddenly he’s saying it’s actually a blend of option four and five,” Mr Partington said.

“He hasn’t been given access to the report. That’s what I have been told.

“If he hasn’t seen the report by now, I’ll send him one.”

Mr Partington said claims the Government chose a blend of options was hard to believe.

“Regardless of what the Health Minister is now saying on this, it was recommended to him that he build a new hospital and he didn’t take that option,” he said.

“He committed $50 million which is essentially exactly option four. And the report (option five) says that within five years there is another $84 million required.

“Now he hasn’t committed to that $84 million. He hasn’t come close.

“So how can part of option five be in there? It can’t because they haven’t committed the money for it.”

Mr Watson said the redevelopment program now under way was chosen from elements of two options presented in reports because it provided for the needs of the Albany community.

“The redevelopment contains elements of options four and five as outlined by the business case,” he said.

Upgraded areas would come into operation in stages, improving the patient care progressively over three years.

Mr Watson said the business case the Liberals claimed showed the hospital redevelopment would cost an extra $84 million was redundant.

“Anyone who reads the business case will see that it doesn’t contain this option,” Mr Watson said.

“It does not contain the redevelopment option that was chosen for the hospital.

“The redevelopment program option now under way includes expansion and upgrades.”

Included are the emergency department, mental health unit, maternity ward and delivery suites, nursery, engineering services, operating theatres, day surgery and sterilisation services, High Dependency Unit (HDU) and the hospital admissions area.

Mr Partington questioned why the Government recently proposed new hospitals in Perth.

He said the Government had ignored advice that Albany also required a new facility.