Transforming Health

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:28): I ask the minister why he thinks that our policy replicates his, when Professor Horowitz advised a committee of this place that his cath lab would no longer be available on a 24/7 basis, and the CEO of CALHN confirmed that that option was being considered?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse) (14:29): We are ensuring that the cath lab will be available and have the capacity to be able to deliver its services on a 24/7 basis. So, when you announced your policy, it reflected exactly what we announced back in June.

We are in the business of actually implementing a policy. I acknowledge that that is a consequence of us being in government. We are getting on with the business. We are committed, of course, to also upgrading the cath labs. That will be a good thing for the community in the western suburbs, and we look forward to continuing to work with clinicians throughout the sector, particularly in and around The QEH, not just Professor Horowitz, as we work through and develop our implementation plan.