Western Australia

How will health reform benefit residents of Western Australia?

Through the COAG Reform package the Commonwealth is investing about $356.5 million in measures that will provide benefits to the people of Western Australia, including:

• Health workforce measures to support doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals.
  
• Funding for aged care, to provide better, more appropriate care for older Australians and reduce the pressure on hospitals.
  
• The provision of better coordinated and integrated care for people with diabetes, providing better care in the community and reducing avoidable hospitalisations.
  
• Several measures focusing on strengthening early intervention and youth friendly services in mental health.
  

Additionally, should Western Australia sign the National Health and Hospitals Network Agreement, direct benefits to the state would include:

• $27.0 million to expand the capacity of public hospital emergency departments by undertaking infrastructure projects which will enable faster treatment.
  
• $52.3 million in facilitation and reward funding to meet a Four Hour National Access Targets for Emergency Departments.
  
• $16.5 million to boost elective surgery capacity in public hospitals.
  
• $67.7 million to facilitate and reward the staged achievement of National Access Guarantees and National Access Targets for public elective surgery patients.
  
• $166.4 million in capital and recurrent funding to deliver 135 sub acute beds.
  
• $21.7 million in flexible capital funding for emergency departments, elective surgery and sub-acute areas, that you will have the flexibility to direct to the highest priority needs within your jurisdiction.
  

Overall this means that Western Australia could receive from the Commonwealth both direct and general benefits totalling about $708 million from health reform.