The rift between the Health Minister and the Australian Medical Association (AMA) has deepened with a new war of words over the future of Royal Perth Hospital.
The AMA has been highly critical of the Government over changes to health promotion body Healthway and plans to establish a new medical school at Curtin University’s campus in Midland.
The doctor’s lobby group has weighed in heavily on renewed speculation about Royal Perth Hospital, after Treasurer Mike Nahan revealed he had received advice that demolishing the existing hospital and building a new one may be more cost effective than the redevelopment first promised in 2008.
In response, the AMA accused the Government of having “… lost the plot on health”.
Health Minister Kim Hames told Parliament the AMA was wrong.
“Lost the plot on health? Because we’re considering what may happen to Royal Perth at some stage in the future?” he said.
Dr Hames said he was bothered by the AMA’s commentary on Government health policy.
“I am becoming a little bit concerned about the comments the AMA are making. It seems they’re out almost every day lately making comments about something or other.”
Dr Hames said he had been given information that there was internal division in the AMA over issues like Healthway and Curtin University.
“It has come back to me that this is not a unanimous position within the AMA. That in their board meetings there is a strong alternate point of view that they are becoming excessively focused on the person, i.e. me, and Government.”
Dr Hames said advocates of that alternate view believed the AMA should be more focused on the quality of patient care, and their own members.
“I just hope the AMA will have a serious look at some of the comments that they seem to be making every day and recognise that this health service in Western Australia is one of the best in Australia,” he said.
Health Minister confirms Government reviewing RPH options
On Royal Perth Hospital, Dr Hames confirmed the Government was reviewing its options.
He said Royal Perth would continue as a tertiary hospital, but the Government would carefully consider how it would be upgraded.
Dr Hames preferred building a new hospital, rather than refurbishing the existing one, but earlier estimates of a cost of $800 million had made it unaffordable, while completing other major hospital projects like Fiona Stanley Hospital and Perth Children’s Hospital.
He said Mr Nahan was merely reviewing those options.
“What he talked about was whether doing the total refurbishment, which is what I put forward, was the best option or whether a new build was a better option,” he said.
But Dr Hames said neither option was financially possible right now.
“Those aren’t things were able to fund at present because of the financial position we’re in. And those things will be put off to the future,” he said.