Official opening of new South-West Health Campus in Bunbury [Visual]

17/4/99
Premier Richard Court today officially opened the busiest and biggest hospital complex outside the metropolitan area - the new South-West Health Campus.
Following the opening in Bunbury, Mr Court said the $68 million campus would not only dramatically increase the range of health services available for people in the South-West region, but would help reduce elective surgery waiting lists in WA.
The Premier said one of the key medical areas the campus that would be developed was orthopaedic surgery.
There are approximately 600 people waiting for orthopaedic surgery in the South-West who are currently on the metropolitan waiting list.
"Within the next few months a team of orthopaedic surgeons will begin operating at the hospital which will help take the pressure off metropolitan hospitals and reduce the waiting lists for elective surgery," Mr Court said.
"This will complement the Government's $125 million program to reduce waitings lists State-wide over the next five years.
"The new campus delivers on the Government's commitment to ensure all Western Australians have access to high quality medical care, closer to home, regardless of where they live.
"This magnificent new facility, which is one of the biggest infrastructure projects ever undertaken in this region, stands as testimony to that commitment and to the people of the South-West."
The campus is a unique joint venture between the State Government, through the Bunbury Health Service, and St John of God Health Care, the result being a public and private hospital side-by-side on one site with independent ownership and management.
The South-West Health Campus includes a 115-bed hospital, an 80-bed private hospital, six operating theatres, a 15-bed psychiatric unit and support services. There is also a medical centre that houses diagnostic services such as X-ray and pathology, other specialist medical services, a pharmacy, lecture room, library and hydrotherapy pool.
Mr Court said the campus was the centrepiece in a range of Government strategies designed to bring modern world-class health care to the entire South-West region.
"The South-West is a growing region in the fastest growing State in Australia," he said.
"In addition to Bunbury, centres like Busselton are enjoying rapid growth in population, and with that of course comes an increasing demand for health care services.
"Regional hospitals are being upgraded in a number of South-West centres, including Manjimup, Pemberton and Collie, and this work, combined with the facilities at the new Bunbury campus, will give the people of the South-West comfort in the knowledge that they will always have access to quality health care.
"The campus will work in co-operation with hospitals throughout the South-West so that, where possible, patients who have to go to Bunbury for treatment can be returned to their own local hospital as quickly as possible for recovery and be closer to their family.
"The Government is extremely proud of its achievements in delivering quality health care to the people of WA and will strive to constantly improve that quality."
Mr Court said the location of the health campus had many benefits.
The complex had been built on a 'greenfields' site formerly allocated to the Edith Cowan University Bunbury campus.
"Its proximity to the university facilitates the South-West Health Campus' future role in research and training projects in conjunction with ECU and the adjacent South-West College of TAFE," the Premier said.
Mr Court congratulated the Combined Development Group - made up of representatives of the Bunbury Health service, the Health Department of WA and St John of God Health Care and chaired by Bunbury Health Service Board chairman Lui Tuia - which was responsible for overseeing the development of the project.
He also acknowledged the importance of the partnership the Government had formed with St John of God Health Care in undertaking the project.
"I am pleased that partnership will continue in the ongoing management and operation of the campus," the Premier said.
The Bunbury Health Service and St John of God Health Care have entered into a partnership whereby costs are shared for common services like catering, engineering, security and maintenance. A memorandum of understanding, known as the Combined Facilities Agreement, has also been implemented.
Media contact: Bronwyn Hillman 9222 9475

Premier Richard Court with one of the young patients and his mother during the opening of the new
South-West Health Campus.