The State Budget for the new financial year will see a $1.4 billion increase in spending on health, but the AMA (WA) has said it was far from what was needed.
A total of $14.2 billion has been set aside for the delivery of health and mental health services in Western Australia.
More than $800 million of that funding will be spent trying to meet what the government said was increased demand on the system.
The WA government’s budget snapshot document noted the investments meant the State has “among the best funded hospital system in the nation at 15% above the national average”.
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However, in his last days in his term as AMA (WA) President, Dr Michael Page told Medical Forum the budget measures on health were disappointing, but not surprising.
“We live in hope that we’re going to see acknowledgement from government about the size of the spend that is going to be necessary to fix the public hospital system, but we are yet to see it,” he said.
“All we can do is continue to educate the public and make sure they understand that what they are currently experiencing, which is seriously diminished public hospital services, is a direct result of inadequate government spend on public hospital infrastructure and medical training.
“It will only continue to get worse if government doesn’t do something quite dramatic and quite soon in terms of a spending plan.”
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Among the big-ticket items in the budget was $61 million to expand the WA Virtual ED program and establish three Older Adult Care Hubs.
Funding of $47 million will go to increasing access to Ngala’s Residential Parenting Service and the RSV immunisation program.
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Health infrastructure spending includes $62 million to modernise medical and imaging equipment, supported by a contribution from Telethon.
A total of $24 million will be spent to deliver 60 new beds at Joondalup Health Campus, $20 million will go towards the Bunbury Hospital redevelopment to include a helipad and acute psychiatric unit, and $10 million to progress planning for St John of God Midland and Royal Perth Hospital Emergency Department expansions.
Regional health spending will increase by $121 million in the new financial year, with $19 million of that being used to fund an increase to the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme.
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The WA Budget overview document states “over the past four years, we have delivered around 800 new beds, and hundreds more are in the pipeline, plus the new Women and Babies hospital”.
It said over the next four years $3.2 billion would be invested in health infrastructure.
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