The McGowan Labor Government is delivering a $158.3 million funding boost to regional health and mental health as part of the upcoming 2022-23 State Budget.
This includes $30.1 million for 18 additional paid paramedics and six additional ambulances in regional WA, delivering on an election commitment.
$18.5 million will be spent to expand the WA Country Health Service (WACHS) Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service frontline workforce across seven regions by 11.6 FTE.
The State Budget allocates $13 million to build and operate a new 8-chair Albany General Dental Clinic and $10 million of Royalties for Regions funding to deliver specialist paediatric, cancer, haematology, stroke and neurology services at the Karratha Health Campus and surrounding sites.
Other initiatives in the 2022-23 State Budget for regional WA include:
- $11 million to ensure there is a nurse 24/7 at every Emergency Department in the regions;
- $5.1 million in 2022-23 to continue the WACHS Mental Health Emergency Telehealth Service;
- $5 million in additional funding to address the most urgent critical staff accommodation issues;
- Additional $2.3 million in 2023-24 for the Broome Step Up/Step Down (SUSD) facility and an additional $1.6 million for the Karratha SUSD to address construction cost pressures; and
- $920,000 for the planning and design of a new renal dialysis centre in Halls Creek.
The State Budget also includes funding for almost half a million extra Rapid Antigen Tests which have been distributed to regional and remote communities through pop-up locations, Community Resource Centres and tailored distribution to remote communities in the past few months.
This is the regional component of the McGowan Government's WA Free RAT Program. WA is the only State in the country providing free RATs to all households.
As stated by Health and Mental Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson:
"The State Budget delivers a significant funding boost to communities across the State, including in key areas of need such as extra paramedics and in the child and adolescent mental health space.
"These investments are in addition to the support provided to Western Australians throughout the pandemic and while COVID-19 is still in the community.
"Ensuring people in our regional and remote communities have access to high quality health and mental health services is a priority for the McGowan Government."
