Busselton Health Campus is now open
The City of Busselton’s new health campus has been officially opened by Premier Colin Barnett and Health Minister Kim Hames, who were joined by prominent community members.
The new campus includes a hospital and a range of community-based services with advanced features and technology normally found in large metropolitan health centres.
Mr Barnett said he was delighted many years of hard work had produced such a magnificent hospital.
“Once it’s up and running the emergency department is expected to handle some 20,000 people over the 2015-16 financial year. That means a lot of advance preparation by a lot of people to ensure the smooth transition and running of the hospital.
“It’s a huge feat. I’m told the communications cabling to deliver some of the technology services here stretches approximately 326 km long – which is roughly the distance between Busselton and Northam,” the Premier said.
The new Busselton Health Campus is almost twice the size of the original site, and includes touch-screen equipment for patients and clinical staff, plus access to television, radio and internet, 24 hours a day.
Dr Hames said more than 8,300 pieces of equipment would be moved into more than 600 rooms and other areas at the hospital.
“The new campus will provide 84 beds and 15 emergency department spaces which is a significant improvement on the 54 beds and 11 emergency department spaces in the old hospital,” Dr Hames said.
“There are 2 operating theatres and a procedure room, 6 outpatients consulting rooms, compared with the existing one, and a 6-chair dental clinic to replace the present 2-chair facility.
“Patients will be able to access the full range of services including X-rays and CT scans in the expanded medical imaging department, located close to the campus’s main entrance and the emergency department."
Technology plays a huge part in modern day health care and the new Busselton Health Campus features a number of high-tech systems including a state-of-the-art patient entertainment system.
The system is part of a $10.7 million State Government Royalties for Regions program funding package for ICT at the campus and across the South-West.
Regional Development Minister Terry Redman said investment in health was fundamental to the ongoing viability of regional Western Australia and Royalties for Regions was addressing the gaps in healthcare to ensure regional areas continued to be desirable places to live, work and invest.
“The Busselton Health Campus will help further strengthen the region’s self-sufficiency in meeting the growing demand for specialist services and community-based care,” Mr Redman said.
“Investment in such critical infrastructure is necessary for the sustainability of our regional communities.”