The McGowan Government is investing $19 million to expand, upgrade and enhance the patient experience at the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital (SCGH) emergency department (ED) as part of the Western Australian Recovery Plan.
Part of the upgrade will include a new eight-bed Behavioural Assessment Urgent Care Centre (BAUCC), co-located within the ED.
The BAUCC will ensure patients behaviourally affected by alcohol and/or drugs are assessed safely without entering the main department and improve patient flow through the provision of specialist inpatient beds.
SCGH ED currently handles more than 71,000 annual presentations, equating to an average of 6,000 patients each month.
The current ED waiting room and triage areas will be redesigned to minimise overcrowding and noise. The current ED Observation Ward will be reconfigured to accommodate the BAUCC within the existing ED footprint.
Additionally, the hospital's main entrance will be relocated from G Block to E Block, which is adjacent to the new SCGH Piazza off Hospital Avenue.
Included in the funding is the already-completed new ED five-bed FastTrack area and negative pressure isolation room that enables suspected infectious patients, including influenza and COVID-19 presentations, to be assessed and treated in a controlled clinical environment, to further protect other patients and staff within the ED.
Detailed planning has commenced and it is anticipated construction will start in mid-2021.
The funding is in addition to the McGowan Government's $23.8 million maintenance blitz being carried out at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.
As stated by Health Minister Roger Cook:
"The McGowan Government is committed to putting patients first. An important part of that commitment is to provide safe and functional workplaces for our healthcare workers, patients and community.
"The Behavioural Assessment Urgent Care Centre will ensure patients are able to be seen safely without entering the main emergency department.
"These upgrades will enable our ED staff to better manage patient flow and has ability to 'zone' areas within the emergency department for the safe treatment of patients and added protection of others."
