ONE way or the other, Albany should get a new hospital after the State Election on September 6.
The Labor State Government has responded to community criticism by promising to completely rebuild Albany Hospital in a two-stage development at a cost of about $165 million.
The Liberal Party has promised a Liberal Government will spend $135 million to build a new hospital much faster and in one stage by 2012.
Liberal Albany candidate Andrew Partington said that Labor had for years ignored the needs of regional patients and the views of medical professionals.
“Only now, during the election campaign, has Labor back-flipped on their previous approach and promised to build a new hospital in two stages by 2015,” Mr Partington said.
“The people of Albany and the Great Southern have every right to be cynical about Labor’s election pledge, and they have every right to expect a state-of-the-art hospital within four years, instead of Labor’s eight years.”
Mr Partington said the Liberal Party had long recognised the need to build a new hospital for the region.
Under a Liberal Government, the new hospital will include a new ambulatory care centre, maternity and birthing suites, surgical centre and emergency department, better day and night inpatient accommodation, improved administration, new acute and community mental health units and an overall engineering upgrade which will improve the sewerage and drainage system.
WA Premier Alan Carpenter released revised plans last week, conceding that a community action group and Albany MLA Peter Watson were both right about the need for a new hospital.
He had originally supported the 2005 election promise for a $50m upgrade of basic services, and a new maternity ward and addition to the mental health ward starting this year.
“In politics you set off with your intention with what you think is the right plan,” he said.
“If a better proposal comes up you’ve got to be prepared to listen, to look at what can be done, and to change, to alter. That’s what we’ve done. This is a great victory for the local community.”
Mr Carpenter said discussions over several weeks with the Albany Chamber of Commerce and Industry and local architect David Heaver had helped sway the change of mind.
Labor’s $104m stage one begins in October as planned in the previous redevelopment with the expansion of the eight-year-old mental health unit, with work completed by mid 2009, taking the total number of mental health beds to 13.
By 2012, the first stage will include a state-of-the-art emergency department with 16 bays – 10 more than the current department, a new high dependency unit for acute care, a new critical care and surgical complex (three new operating theatres, a new procedure room, a new endoscopy suite, central sterilisation department and a new $4.4million Commonwealth-funded 12-bay day surgery ward).
The maternity ward will have three new birthing suites, each with private ensuites; there will be a new medical imaging department, a new foyer and admissions area, a new covered ambulance area, and a large new car park around the new building which will resolve current difficulties.
Mr Carpenter said that following the building of the new critical care and surgical complex, the maternity unit will be relocated to the area that currently houses the day procedure unit and will be situated alongside the new birthing suites.
The maternity ward will be significantly upgraded and all rooms and birthing suites will have private ensuites.
The nursery will be upgraded to a level two, allowing more babies who need medical attention to receive their treatment in Albany, instead of being transferred to Perth.
Cancer services will be expanded and relocated to another area of the hospital to improve patient access to specialist oncology services.
“Stage 2 will include new wards and service areas including administration, maintenance, laundry and catering,” he said.
Mr Watson said the Liberal Party’s promise for a new hospital “was based on a redundant report that was over 18 months old.”