Media Release: Liberal Party’s WCH announcement welcome, but details are crucial
South Australia's Liberal Party has announced the existing Women's and Children's Hospital will remain a health precinct if it wins the next election, and could be used as a transition facility for patients who no longer require acute care. AMA SA President Associate Professor Peter Subramaniam has welcomed the announcement, but is calling for further details.
The following quotes can be attributed to the President of the Australian Medical Association in South Australia (AMA SA) Associate Professor Peter Subramaniam:
The Australian Medical Association in South Australia welcomes the Liberal Party’s commitment to retain the existing Women’s and Children’s Hospital (WCH) site as a health precinct.
But before the election, we are calling for details about how this ageing facility will be upgraded to meet modern clinical standards, how it will be staffed, and how it will integrate with the broader health system to ensure no patient falls through the cracks.
The Liberal proposal to explore the WCH site as a step-down facility for patients ready for discharge has merit. Well-designed and properly managed transition care can improve patient flow, reduce unnecessary acute bed occupancy, and support safer discharges. The Labor Government has already recognised this need through its Transition Care Service at the Pullman Adelaide.
But capacity alone is not enough. For any transition facility to succeed, it must be adequately staffed now and into the future. Re-purposing beds without a sustainable workforce plan risks shifting pressure rather than reducing it.
Transition centres must also be fully integrated with hospitals, community care and general practice. This guarantees patients can return home safely when their condition improves or access emergency care immediately if it worsens.
It must also be acknowledged that the existing WCH infrastructure is ageing. Any ongoing clinical use requires a thorough assessment of safety and suitability, as well as clarity on the investment needed to bring facilities up to contemporary clinical standards.
AMA SA welcomes bold thinking about smarter use of existing health assets. But we call on the Liberal Party to provide detailed plans for workforce, system integration and infrastructure upgrades. These details must form part of any credible plan.
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