The Western Australian Government's plan to add 120 hospital beds to relieve pressure at Joondalup and Midland hospitals will see only half operational before winter begins. The beds at Joondalup are expected to be available in late May, coinciding with the completion of two floors of the hospital's new public block. However, the remaining 60 beds and three surgical theatres in Midland will not transition from private to public hands until August.
Delayed capacity raises concerns
The delay means that half of the planned capacity increase will not be in place for the majority of the winter season, when flu and other respiratory cases surge, placing significant strain on the healthcare system. Health Minister Meredith Hammat acknowledged that the Midland beds could not be brought online sooner but noted that other measures are already in place to counter the seasonal spike.
“We work with St John in terms of being able to access those beds, we had to provide some notice to get access to them,” Ms Hammat said. “They’ll be in a position to open their new building in August as we understand it, so that is clearly the time that makes sense for us to be able to access them. In the meantime to help us through the sort of busy months, as I’ve said before, we’ve contracted additional beds through Mt Lawley Hospital so that we can get access to additional beds ahead of that August time frame.”
Cost details withheld
Despite the announcement being billed as a pre-budget measure with funding allocated in May’s State Budget, neither Ms Hammat nor Premier Roger Cook were willing to provide an estimate of the cost to manage the additional beds. Ms Hammat said the calculations were too complex to be broken down for individual hospitals.
“It will depend on what services are provided in those beds and how they’re used,” she said. “There’s quite a complex formula that sits under it, but the way we fund all activity in the public system is through activity numbers that are in the budget as a line item, so it’s clear to see. When you see the budget, you’ll see that uplift in activity as a result of these beds coming online.”
The 60 Midland beds were purchased during 2023-24 for $81 million, with the understanding they would be transferred in July 2026 at the earliest. The new St John of God Midland Private Hospital will free up space in the existing hospital, allowing the transfer to occur.
