Underlying the McGowan Government's commitment to the importance of quality palliative care and end of life choices, Western Australian Health Minister Roger Cook today announced $9.5 million in funding for Kalamunda Hospital.
Located in the Perth Hills, Kalamunda Hospital is a 39 bed hospital which incorporates 25 palliative care beds. It is a specialist hospital and in addition to providing inpatient palliative care, it provides low risk endoscopic surgery services.
The $9.5 million funding is part of the WA Recovery Plan and will be used to redevelop the palliative care section of the hospital to care for patients when they are unable to get the care they require at home and support the provision of an integrated, contemporary model of care.
Included in the planned works will be the reconfiguration of the patient rooms to create single rooms with ensuites and improved access to outdoor spaces, and the upgrading of facilities and amenities for families and carers.
Funding will also be provided for additional therapeutic spaces such as improved gardens and landscaping outdoors and incorporation of an indoor art/therapy room.
The enhanced palliative care service at Kalamunda Hospital will also incorporate proactive outreach models of care and improved service linkages, supports and capacity within East Metropolitan Health Service, in addition to a day hospice and outpatient services including Telehealth.
The term 'palliative care' refers to an approach that improves the quality of life of individuals (as well as their family/carer) facing problems associated with their life-limiting illness/condition through the prevention and relief of suffering.
Planning for the refurbishment work will start immediately and its anticipated that the construction phase will start mid-2021.
As stated by Health Minister Roger Cook:
"In accordance with the Western Australian End of Life and Palliative Care Strategy 2018-2028 - every Western Australian with a life-limiting illness has the right to high quality integrated end of life and palliative care.
"Funding will help ensure Kalamunda Hospital can continue to provide high quality palliative care and respond to the dying person's individual needs, wishes and preferences, with the key objective being person-centred and dignified care.
"These enhancements of the hospital's palliative care section will help create an environment that ensures patients and their families or carers receive the highest possible care."
As stated by Kalamunda MLA Matthew Hughes:
"My constituents believe, as I do, that Kalamunda Hospital is well placed to become a centre of excellence in the practice and delivery of both in-patient and out-patient palliative care, so I'm pleased that the McGowan Government has listened to their wishes.
"I recently presented a petition to Parliament that local people were very keen to sign suggesting a centre of excellence expansion of the fine existing provision at Kalamunda Hospital.
"This wise investment will provide jobs in construction and in operation over many years, as well as delivering evidence-based high-quality palliative care practices to inform and educate palliative care practitioners and carers."
