- Final preparations underway for handover of Mount Lawley Hospital
- Mount Lawley Hospital will officially become a public hospital at midnight on 31 August
- 450 existing healthcare workers will transition to work at East Metropolitan Health Service
- There will be no impact to patients at the hospital at the time of transition
- Cook Labor Government putting WA first and delivering new hospital capacity
Mount Lawley Hospital will officially become part of Western Australia’s public health system next week, as part of a $224.8 million investment by the Cook Labor Government.
The historic milestone follows months of extensive planning between the Cook Labor Government, East Metropolitan Health Service, WA Health and St John of God Health Care to support a safe and smooth transition.
The 196-bed hospital was purchased earlier this year for $80 million from St John of God Health Care, as part of a $224.8 million investment to purchase, commission and begin full operation of the facility. The acquisition is funded through the Cook Labor Government’s Building Hospitals Fund.
From midnight on 31 August, Mount Lawley Hospital will be run by the East Metropolitan Health Service. Patient care will continue as normal at the time of handover.
The public hospital will provide a range of services including general medicine, rehabilitation and geriatric care, older adult mental health services and outpatient care.
Bringing the hospital fully into the public system will allow the site to play an increasingly important role supporting patient care across our health system, particularly for the eastern suburbs.
As stated by Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti:
“The Cook Labor Government is doing everything it can to improve our health system and provide quality healthcare to Western Australians.
“We’re building hospitals, upgrading hospitals, and next week we’re bringing Mount Lawley Hospital into the public health system.
“Bringing an entire hospital into public hands is a significant undertaking and I’m really pleased by how quickly we’ve been able to deliver this for the community.
“Our government’s focus throughout this transition has been on making sure patients continue to receive high-quality care and supporting the hardworking staff who deliver it.
“This acquisition is another important part of our government’s record investment in health and hospitals so all Western Australians can access the care they need, when they need it.”
As stated by Health Minister Meredith Hammat:
“There has been an enormous amount of detailed work happening behind the scenes to prepare Mount Lawley Hospital for this transition.
“I want to acknowledge the East Metropolitan Health Service, WA Health and St John of God Health Care staff who have worked side by side over recent months to prepare for a safe and seamless transition.
“As part of the transition, 450 existing staff will begin new roles with East Metropolitan Health Service, and I’m delighted to welcome them to the rapidly growing WA Health workforce.
“For patients in the hospital during the transition, the most important message is simple: you don’t need to do anything differently and your care will continue.”
As stated by Health Infrastructure Minister John Carey:
“The addition of Mount Lawley Hospital to Western Australia’s public healthcare system was made possible by our government’s record $5.5 billion investment in health infrastructure.”
“The acquisition brings more beds into the public healthcare system while ensuring that the Mount Lawley Hospital remains operational.”
Comments attributed to Mount Lawley MLA Frank Paolino:
“This is a fantastic outcome for our local community and will mean people across the eastern suburbs have greater access to public hospital care closer to home.
“Bringing Mount Lawley Hospital into the public system will deliver a significant boost to healthcare capacity in our local corridor, and I’m incredibly proud to see the Cook Labor Government making this investment in services that local families rely on.”
