The Minister for Health has announced that work on the new Peel Health Campus emergency department is to be delayed over concerns the construction would temporarily halve the ED waiting room capacity at a time of growing need.
The Minister, Roger Cook said work on the hospital’s emergency department and short stay ward had been due to start last week.
“However, the Department of Health was concerned that building work would halve the waiting room capacity and prevent isolation of ED patients from those attending with suspected COVID-19,” Mr Cook said.
“Construction work on Peel’s refurbished ED is now scheduled to start on 1 October,” he said.
“The upgrade includes a new fast-track triage area with improved patient privacy, a new waiting room and seven additional beds for the short stay unit.”
He said the works could begin earlier if the COVID-19 situation in Western Australia improved.
“The Health Department advises me that delaying the work at Peel is a precautionary measure and in the best interests of patients and local residents,” Mr Cook said.
He said there would also have been a risk of infection to construction workers.
The Minister said the delay was a purely precautionary measure to ensure the emergency department could cope with what could be an increase in patient numbers.
“It is a decision in line with Western Australia’s pandemic preparation,” Mr Cook said.
