Western Hospital

Mr COWDREY (Colton) (15:26): I rise today to provide an update to my community in regard to the Western Hospital. I think it has been done many times throughout the last six months or so that I have been here providing an update to the community on what is ultimately a very concerning situation in terms of the delivery of healthcare services in the western suburbs.

There are so many in the local community who rely on the hospital and the services that are delivered there. Given the history, over the last little while, we have seen the hospital fall into administration and there has been a process that has been playing out since that time. To be caught in what was essentially a shocking announcement last week, where oncology services are potentially going to be ceased at the hospital, was really quite concerning to a number of people.

For those in particular in our local community who rely on the oncology services, going through cancer at the best of times is one of the most stressful times of life, and I can only imagine the additional stress that has fallen upon those in our community who rely on the oncology services at the Western Hospital, based on hearing the news.

Very soon after understanding that that was the case, I wrote to the administrators of the hospital seeking an answer from them as to whether this decision was going to be final or whether they would still be going out to try to source another buyer for those services. Ultimately, I am a little confused and was a little bit disappointed in terms of the communication of this announcement. Like many in the community, I am now confused as to what the government's role is.

As I understand it, they are a creditor to the hospital, they have been part of the process, there were Treasury officials working closely—as has been stated on previous occasions by the government—with the hospital administrators in this sale which is so important to the continuation of healthcare services in the western suburbs.

Yet, over the last couple of days, there have been public comments made more broadly that the government have not been quite as close to this as potentially they would have had us believe in the past. I think some clarity about what the government's role has been to this point would be very helpful as well, because this is not about politics. This is well above politics. The most important thing for my local community is to see the continuation of services at the Western Hospital.

That is why I was again disappointed today to see the Minister for Planning come in and just dismiss more than 23,000 people who have signed a petition calling on the government to ensure the future of the hospital and to look at all options available for keeping planning arrangements for that area in a way that will enable the site to be used as a hospital into perpetuity, rather than its current zoning, which would provide for residential construction.

Finally, I hope that we are reasonably close to a conclusion in this process. When the hospital—and I say hopefully; hopefully we get the answer that we have all been seeking over the last number of months—is transitioned to a new provider, I want to implore them to do one thing, and that is to continue to access and to use the most important part of that hospital, which is the Friends of Western group, who volunteer at the hospital, who have in the most recent iteration of the hospital participated in organising fundraising, bequests and donations to, essentially, purchase additional infrastructure for the hospital, in the hope that they can continue to upgrade the experience that patients have.

We have such a dedicated team of people who are there every day, volunteering their time to keep the community in what has been ultimately a private hospital for nearly two decades. If I can do anything through this process, I just want to ensure that whoever the new purchaser is of the hospital—and let's hope that is the case, that the hospital is purchased—we keep the community, we keep the Western as a community hospital with community involvement, with the Friends of Western front and centre in the operations moving forward.

As has been said many times, this hospital is too big to fail. It would leave far too big a hole in health services in the western suburbs. More than 23,000 people have sent a strong message to the government, the administrators and a potential buyer that we want this hospital to continue and we will continue to support it as best we possibly can.