Government provides more funds for therapy services

20/12/00
Western Australians waiting for speech therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy services will be able to access services sooner, following a State Government commitment of more than $795,000 to reduce waiting lists and waiting times.
The additional funding will more than double the capacity of most metropolitan health services to alleviate the pressure on allied health waiting lists.
Health Minister John Day said the move further increased the State Government's commitment to improving access to allied health services for all Western Australians.
"Earlier this year, the State Government provided an additional $1 million to the Metropolitan Health Service to reduce waiting times for speech therapy, enhance specialist family and children's services, and meet the demand for new services," Mr Day said.
"The State Government has now extended funding from Western Australia's nationally-recognised Central Wait List Bureau to include allied health in response to increasing demand and long waiting times."
Mr Day said the result of this latest funding commitment would be that the capacity for alleviating the pressure on allied health waiting lists would:

• triple at the North Metropolitan Health Service;

• more than double at Fremantle, Swan, Rockingham/Kwinana and Peel Health Services; and -

• double at Armadale, Kalamunda and Bentley Health Services.

The funding also allows for increased physiotherapy services at Royal Perth Hospital, which will provide an extra 12 weeks of physiotherapy for hip and knee replacement patients, and increase the program by 120 patients.
Mr Day said the $500,000 allocated for information technology infrastructure would also help allied health by increasing access to data, and better integrating community health staff with the Health Department.
The infrastructure funding would result in an additional 50 computers in 31 community health locations across the metropolitan area, and 115 computers at 75 community health locations in rural areas.
Media contact: Hugh Ryan 9213 6600