Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital: Emergency department and ICU unit upgrades will not affect capacity, Govt says

A three-year upgrade to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital’s emergency department and intensive care unit should not affect the capacity or operations, the State Government believes. Speaking at the Nedlands facility on Tuesday, Health Infrastructure Minister John Carey said staff had developed a staged rollout of the upgrades, and would utilise empty spaces, to make the works as smooth as possible for patients. The emergency department, which sees 77,000 patients each year, will include an upgraded entrance, waiting and triage areas, as well as a new urgent critical care unit for drug and alcohol affected patients and enhanced observation ward and ambulance triage facilities. The Government also signed a deal with Cooper and Oxley to build a 10-bed intensive care unit pod, adjacent to the existing ward, to expand the number of places in the most critical part of the hospital. SCGH nurse manager Chloe Pitos said the Hospital’s central location meant the ICU serviced a large part of WA. “We are very, very excited about these new works today. They are not only going to increase patient comfort, but also allow our very dedicated, highly skilled staff to provide care for these patients to the best of their ability,” she said. Emergency medicine director Tom Cassidy said the emergency department upgrade was coming amid a high demand. “It’s just going up and up and up. There are several reasons for that. It’s multifactorial, but it doesn’t detract from the fact that demand is off the charts,” he said. “It’s really great that we’ve had this injection from the government to increase our capacity to deal with patients. “We deal with the sickest patients on the worst days of their lives, and we’re just happy that we can continue to provide the care that we hope to give you.” Health Infrastructure Minister John Carey said while the ICU was expected to be finished by the end of next year, the emergency department had a timeframe of late 2027. “We are making unprecedented investments in our hospitals across the system. We’re not sitting on our bums,” he said. “These projects — an ICU unit and a new ED department — are being constructed while the hospital is in full operation. “That the emergency department here will be fully operational, still taking people daily while we’re upgrading that department, I mean, this is significant work. It shouldn’t be underestimated.” It comes after Labor promised upgrades to emergency departments at Royal Perth and St John of God Midland hospitals during the campaign.