[Greens-Media] FW: Planning for new Midland Hospital continues to cause concern

[Richards, Kirsten]

Concerning details continue to come to light about the tendering process that led to St John of God Health Care (SJOGHC) being appointed to run the new Midland Hospital, says WA Greens Member for East Metropolitan Region Alison Xamon MLC.



"I have asked a series of questions in Parliament to try to get to the bottom of what is really going on with this decision," Ms Xamon said.



"First was the concerning announcement that SJOGHC would not provide the full range of reproductive services at the new campus.



"I have said previously that I am very concerned that our public Swan District Hospital will be replaced with an arrangement that potentially allows religious belief to determine which services will and will not be offered in this new public hospital.



"As I ask more questions to determine how this could happen, rather than being reassured I have become more concerned, frankly, by the answers that I receive.



"I have been trying to determine what tendering process could enable a private operator to effectively pick and choose the services it will provide when operating a public hospital.  In doing so I am very concerned as to what has been revealed.



"When SJOGHC raised that it would not undertake all the services currently performed at Swan District Hospital, the invitation for expressions of interest and the request for proposals were both altered by Government to fit within the constraints of SJOGHC.



"That is, rather than first and foremost requiring that any tenderer to run the new public hospital offer a full range of standard public services, which I think should have been the primary consideration, the process was quite the opposite.



"I am appalled at the precedent this sets.



"As this government keeps moving towards privatisation, I think some very serious questions need to be asked about how many of the safeguards we expect from the public system can be sacrificed without scrutiny.



"There are still too many questions to be asked about what is actually going to happen at Midland.

"It is simple: I want to be assured that in our new publicly funded hospital there is no chance at all that any man or woman in need will be denied any level of care they need because the medical treatment is contrary to the operator's beliefs.


"Therefore, I am remain very concerned as to the position we have found ourselves in, and with the process that brought us here."