Liberal candidate Heather Reid describes Bunbury Hospital ramping data as ‘temperature check’ of health system

The Liberal candidate for Bunbury has described ramping figures at Bunbury Regional Hospital as a “temperature check” of the health system after data showed increasing wait times. St John WA figures reveal July was the second worst result for ramping at the South West’s biggest health facility in nine years, with ambulances spending 131.4 hours waiting to be admitted during the month. Figures for August were slightly better, with 126.2 hours being recorded over the month. Liberal candidate for Bunbury Heather Reid, who is also a registered occupational therapist and former WA Country Health Service employee, said ambulance ramping hours could be used to measure the health system’s capability to deal with demands. “Those statistics are like doing a temperature check on the health system,” she said. Mrs Reid acknowledged winter respiratory illnesses increases were part of the issue, but said ramping had an upward trend over the past five years. She is no stranger to the hospital, having been involved in the planning and implementation of the rehabilitation expansion. Mrs Reid said she had heard complaints from people in the community waiting too long in the emergency department, or begin sent home with “issues that still present” and needing re-admission. “We still hear stories of patients who have to outlie in the smaller regional hospitals to ease the demand on Bunbury Hospital,” she said. “The overall concern remains that Bunbury Hospital, as a healthcare hub, is going to continue to experience demand-supply conflicts in terms of its capacity.” The July figure is the worst result in a year and the second worst since data started being collected in July 2015. It comes amid a more than 30 per cent increase in ramping at the hospital during the first eight months of this year compared to the same time period last year. Mrs Reid said the recent establishment of health services at the Homemaker Centre was a good move, but called for a longer-term view to be taken on hospital demands. Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson last week highlighted $8.9 million in State Government funding to support patient flows at a number of regional hospitals, including Bunbury, before a redevelopment project gets under way. “We know influenza season increases pressure on emergency departments right around the State, not just Bunbury Regional Hospital,” she said. “Despite this, ramping at the facility is lower than what it was at the same time last year.”