National health reform is delivering improved waiting times across Western Australian hospitals with Fremantle Hospital a striking example of the improvements that are taking place.

Minister for Health and Ageing Nicola Roxon and Member for Fremantle Melissa Parke today toured the Fremantle Hospital emergency department, which has seen a 30 per cent increase in the number of patients admitted, treated or transferred within four hours.

“When work started here at Fremantle Hospital in March 2009 there were only 53.8 per cent of patients admitted, treated or discharged within four hours. This has now increased to 84.4 per cent in June 2011,” Minister Roxon said.

“This improvement has come about because a change in how the whole hospital works together.

“It is important that this happened in a safe way. We know that as the waiting times reduced, so did the mortality rate from emergency admissions,” Minister Roxon said.

The WA Government’s Four Hour Rule program was made possible by $56.4 million funding from the Commonwealth Government in 2008/09.

A key part of National Health Reform is extending this nationwide using lessons learned in WA. $750 million is committed for a National Emergency Access Target so that 90 per cent of patients are admitted, treated or discharged within four hours by 2015.

“It was good to meet today with Fremantle Hospital’s Dr Mark Monaghan who was part of an Expert Panel that advised COAG earlier this year on the Target, and is also the Clinical Leader for the Four Hour Rule here in WA.

“This is an example of a successful program being delivered and now expanded nationwide. It is a credit to the hard work of doctors and nurses here in WA.

“COAG received advice from the Expert Panel this year which confirmed this new national target, given its success here in WA. This state is now starts streets ahead to meet the national target,” Minister Roxon said.

Member for Fremantle Melissa Parke said this is an example of local Fremantle doctors and nurses were leading the way for national health reform.

“The hard work of our local doctors and nurses is really paying off for the working families of Fremantle,” Ms Parke said.

“Health reform is also delivering through direct investments to improve services here at Fremantle Hospital including $1.5 million to expand an endoscopy procedure room to enable more patients to undergo surgery,” Ms Parke said.

“We have also invested $630,000 to refurbish the emergency department, creating better treatment options, patient privacy and mental health care.”

Minister Roxon’s Office: 0409 945 476
Melissa Parke’s Office: 08 9335 8555

Attendances that were seen and admitted, discharged or transferred within four hours or less:

Hospital Jan-Mar 2009 Apr-Jun 2011 Change
Fremantle Hospital 53.8% 84.4% +30.6%
Princess Margaret Hospital 88.5% 95.9% +7.4%
Royal Perth Hospital 52.7% 85.0% +32.3%
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital 43.6% 71.5% +27.9%

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