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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2016-11-29 Daily Xml
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Western Hospital

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton) (15:56): Last Wednesday, 23 November, I was both pleased and excited to attend and participate in the official opening of the new and very impressive intensive care unit at the Western Hospital. The Western Hospital is located on Cudmore Terrace, Henley Beach, in the beautiful electorate of Colton. The Western opened in 1974 as a community-owned hospital replacing the old Henley Private Hospital located on Seaview Road, which we used to refer to as the 'blue hospital'.

From 1974 until around 2003, the Western had a successful history of providing surgical and medical acute care services to the residents of the western suburbs. In 2003, the Western Hospital was part of the Adelaide Community Health Alliance (ACHA), and this alliance made the confounding and short-sighted decision to sell the hospital. At the same time, ACHA also transferred the management of its three other hospitals to the national private hospital group, Healthscope.

It is safe to say that our local community found the decision to sell the hospital nothing short of contemptuous of a community that had put its heart and soul into this hospital. I am not going to rake over the coals of ACHA's decision. It is history. In hindsight, some might say it is the best thing that ever happened. I would particularly like to focus on the positive and outstanding contribution that the Western is making to the health and wellbeing of many of the residents of the western suburbs and beyond.

Following a brief closure in 2003, the Western reopened and was purchased by a group of progressive and visionary healthcare professionals in 2004. I acknowledge the work done by the community at that time in saving the Western and, importantly, the work that has been done since that time in re-establishing the hospital which is, without doubt, a jewel in the western suburbs.

Along with the establishment of the ICU, the Western provides a broad range of general and specialist surgical operations including orthopaedics, colorectal, ophthalmology, breast/endocrine, gynaecology, plastic/reconstructive/cosmetic, and oral maxillary. In addition, the hospital provides a high-dependency unit, day surgery unit, and a range of specialist clinics, as well as a GP unit and sports physio section.

The Western has an expert board of directors, and the hospital's CEO, Kathy Nagle, is an outstanding and dedicated CEO who has played no small part in the positive transformation of the Western into the hospital that it is today. Kathy also administers an outstanding staff dedicated not only to the Western but to delivering the best health and wellbeing outcomes for the hospital's users. This is a proper and appropriate measure for any hospital and, in this regard, the Western excels. The Western also has a vibrant and effective friends group, of which Annabel and I are card-carrying members. Angelo Piovesan (who heads up the friends group) has a very effective committee, which has raised over $400,000 for the hospital since its existence.

Finally, I again want to pay tribute to the fantastic group of health professionals, the shareholders, who not only made the bold decision to buy the hospital but who have possessed a vision—a vision supported by staff and the community to rebuild the Western, transforming it into the valuable and valued hospital that it is today. As we embark on the transformation of the metropolitan health system, it is more important than ever that the public and private sectors work closely together to complement one another and build the best system of care possible for all South Australians. In this regard, the Western is critical in the successful pursuit of this objective.

I congratulate all connected with the Western Hospital, the administration, the staff, the friends, the board and its shareholders. I am proud of all that the Western provides to our community and beyond. Long may the Western Hospital continue to provide the services it currently does and continue to expand its range of services. I am very proud to have it in my electorate.

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