- Health Minister Roger Cook officially launches the Albany after-hours GP and nurse practitioner service, based at the Albany Health Campus
- Service is a collaboration between a number of Albany-based general practices to improve care in their community
- Testament to what can be achieved through innovative health partnerships
Health Minister Roger Cook today launched the new Albany after-hours GP and nurse practitioner service at the Albany Health Campus with Albany MLA Peter Watson and Federal Member for O'Connor Rick Wilson.
The new service has been created by a number of Albany-based general practices who saw an opportunity to improve care in their community. They have worked closely with the health sector, including the WA Primary Health Alliance and the WA Country Health Service, to develop an innovative after-hours model.
The service will have a phased opening, starting from April with after-hours services for patients in aged care facilities or those requiring palliative care support. From June, the local community will be able to access GP services after-hours at a facility co-located next to the emergency department at Albany Health Campus.
There was a 49 per cent increase in emergency department presentations in Western Australia between 2005 and 2015, so approaches such as this one are helping to build a sustainable future for WA's health system.
The new service will run as a trial until June 2019, improving access to GPs and nurse practitioners after-hours in the Albany area.
Comments attributed to Health Minister Roger Cook:
"The release of the Sustainable Health Review Interim Report last month highlighted a need to improve care in our communities - to reduce costs and waste and to reduce the pressure on our emergency departments.
"This new service is about better access to GP and nurse practitioner services for patients and carers, which means a better quality of care for non-emergency patients and not having to wait in busy emergency departments."
Comments attributed to Albany MLA Peter Watson:
"If we can avoid just a small number of people presenting to Albany Health Campus' emergency department, it means that the emergency department can function more effectively.
"If this new service proves to be a success, it will be a great model for other like-sized country services in WA."
Minister's office - 6552 6500
