Families in the South Metropolitan area will have better access to obstetric and neonatal care with the Liberal-National Government building these services into the Fiona Stanley Hospital at least five years earlier than previous government plans.

Health Minister Dr Kim Hames said Stage One of Fiona Stanley Hospital would include a 30-bed obstetric unit and an 18-cot neonatal unit, along with an eight-bed mother and baby facility within the hospital’s mental health unit.

Dr Hames said the new services would provide care closer to home for residents in the south while also reducing pressure on King Edward Memorial Hospital.

“In 2007, 2,500 births at King Edward Memorial Hospital were by women who lived south of the river,” he said. 

“This, coupled with rising birthing rates in Western Australia, shows how important it is to provide obstetrics services at Fiona Stanley Hospital from day one.

“This is a real breakthrough for families in the South Metropolitan area.

“Under the previous Labor government, obstetric services were not due to be included until Stage Two of the hospital’s development, which is at least five years from now.

“My Parliamentary colleagues and I lobbied hard on this issue and I am very pleased to announce that these important services will now be included in Stage One.”

The Minister said the geographic distribution of obstetric and neonatal services would be better placed to meet the needs of the community and provide more complex levels of care in the south.  There would also be a wider range of midwifery-led, community-based services available.

No additional capital funding would be required for the Fiona Stanley Hospital project to cater for the inclusion of the new services.

“The retention of Royal Perth Hospital has freed up some capacity at Fiona Stanley Hospital to enable these services to be included within the current building design and scope and within the current budget,” Dr Hames said.

When completed, the 643-bed Fiona Stanley Hospital would provide comprehensive health care services to communities south of Perth and across WA and included: 

·             a full range of acute medical and surgical services

·             State centres for treatment of major trauma, burns, and heart and lung transplants

·             WA’s first comprehensive cancer service south of the river including radiotherapy treatment facilities, medical oncology and haematology

·             obstetric and neonatal services

·             a mother and baby unit within the mental health unit

·             renal dialysis and transplantation

·             a major 24-hour emergency department

·             paediatrics

·             cardiothoracic services

·             radiology services including CT and MRI scanning

·             a state-of-the-art medical research facility to be built in conjunction with universities and the WA Institute of Medical Research.

Site works for the Fiona Stanley Hospital have been completed and the managing contractor Brookfield Multiplex is expected to commence construction of the main hospital buildings later this year.  Construction completion is scheduled for late 2013.