The new $170.4 million Albany Health Campus is now open to patients, marking the completion of the largest public country hospital development ever undertaken in Western Australia.
The new service has been created by a number of Albany-based general practices who saw an opportunity to improve care in their community. They have worked closely with the health sector, including the WA Primary Health Alliance and the WA Country Health Service, to develop an innovative after-hours model.
The service will have a phased opening, starting from April with after-hours services for patients in aged care facilities or those requiring palliative care support. From June, the local community will be able to access GP services after-hours at a facility co-located next to the emergency department at Albany Health Campus.
There was a 49 per cent increase in emergency department presentations in Western Australia between 2005 and 2015, so approaches such as this one are helping to build a sustainable future for WA’s health system.
The new service will run as a trial until June 2019, improving access to GPs and nurse practitioners after-hours in the Albany area.
Photo: Albany Health Campus (Department of Health)