South West member urges health service transparency

As works to repair ceiling and wall defects at Busselton Health Campus begin, South West MLC Adele Farina has urged WA Country Health Services to be more transparent.

WACHS acting chief executive Shane Matthews announced this week a staged program addressing a “defect relating to the installation of ceiling and internal wall panels” will be carried out over coming months.

Mr Matthews said the defects did not pose any “serious or immediate risk or danger”, but Ms Farina said the information provided suggested defects were structural and therefore “very concerning”.

“The WACHS need to immediately release the structural engineer’s assessment of the risks posed by the defects to provide full transparency and reassure patients, staff and visitors to the hospital they are not at risk,” she said.

A WACHS spokeswoman told theTimes State construction manager Strategic Projects was working with WACHS and builder Doric Contractors to finalise the remediation solution and propose a plan.

She said some repairs had already begun and following works would be staged over several months to “minimise inconvenience or disruption to patients”.

“During the remediation work, some patients will be moved to different rooms and clinics may be relocated around the site,” she said.

At this stage, WACHS does not expect a reduction in the number of operational beds.

Ms Farina said it was disappointing to learn the hospital needed rectification works, given the “lengthy delays” in delivering the facility.

She said it added to community frustrations as they were made to go to Bunbury for services previously available at the old Busselton Hospital.

Development discussions for the campus first began in 2009, construction for the $120.4 million facility started in 2012 and doors opened in April, 2015.

The spokeswoman said the ceiling and wall defects were first identified in February this year and confirmed by engineering reports in March and April.

She said “as with all major construction projects”, the Busselton Health Campus had a defects liability period.

“This is a period of time, generally one year after handover to the owner, during which defects that have been identified prior to handover are corrected,” she said.

“It also allows new defects to be identified by the owner while the building is in operation.”

Health minister John Day noted the builder, “a respected and responsible WA company”, had assumed responsibility for the defect and remediation works.