LABOR TO BUILD URGENT CARE CLINIC FOR FREMANTLE - SATURDAY, 14 JULY 2018

13 July 2018

A Shorten Labor Government will invest $5 million for a new Urgent Care Clinic at Fremantle Hospital.

An Urgent Care Clinic can deal with urgent but non-life threatening illnesses and injuries that would otherwise be seen at an Emergency Department – like minor fractures, dislocations, abrasions and minor lacerations, and respiratory tract infections.
 
Fremantle Hospital no longer has an emergency department, which means emergency presentations are sent to Fiona Stanley Hospital – a 20-minute drive away. 
 
Right now, Fremantle locals have to leave their community to get urgent medical care, and more pressure is placed on Fiona Stanley Hospital’s Emergency Department. The Urgent Care Clinic will not only mean Fremantle residents get more timely care, but patients at Fiona Stanley will also be treated sooner.
 
There are thousands of presentations to Fiona Stanley Hospital every year that could be seen and treated at Fremantle’s Urgent Care Clinic if Federal Labor is elected to government.
 
The new walk-in clinic will be open seven days a week, so it will also give residents improved access to after-hours care for those unable to schedule a regular primary care appointment.
 
Fremantle’s residents deserve high-quality care without having to wait for hours or travel long distances. Josh Wilson has been fighting for an Urgent Care Clinic in Fremantle. Because of his advocacy, Labor is taking action.  
 
In contrast, Malcolm Turnbull is cutting $77 million from West Australian hospitals between 2017 and 2020, including about $44 million from hospitals across Perth and Fremantle. That means fewer beds and doctors, and longer waiting times.
 
A Shorten Labor Government will reverse Turnbul’s savage cuts to hospitals by establishing a national $2.8 billion Better Hospitals Fund – a record investment in the health of all Australians.
 
Labor’s investment will bring down emergency department and elective surgery wait times, and boost doctor, nurse and other hospital staff numbers – including with a significant investment in WA.
 
A Shorten Labor Government will deliver a fair go for WA – that means a fair share of GST and better health services for locals.
 
We can invest in better hospitals and healthcare because unlike the Liberals, we will not give a $17 billion tax handout to the banks.
 
A vote for Labor in Fremantle is a vote for better healthcare.