Western Australia Is Really Planning To Do Health IT On The Cheap. Hardly Credible I Believe.

This popped up last week:

WA govt funnels $10m into health systems

By Justin Hendry on May 11, 2018 12:11PM

And brings forward cyber security funds.

The WA government has prioritised $10 million to overhaul a number of the state’s critical health systems in this year’s state budget.

The government said that the capital funding had be reprioritised “in recognition of the current fiscal environment”.

The funding will go towards “a number of ICT requirements that are critical to the operation of key clinical and corporate system”, it said.

It will cover “a number of application and infrastructure upgrades”, including a $1.5 million overhaul of the psychiatric services online information system server “in order to address system stability issues”.

More here on other WA budget moves:

https://www.itnews.com.au/news/wa-govt-funnels-10m-into-health-systems-490774

Really guys this seems to be a really ridiculously small allocation recognizing that WA is the national IT laggard by a more than considerable margin!

Here is the news for Health in WA for 2018-19

Health Snapshot

• $37 billion total investment in health
• $655 million total infrastructure investment over the next four years
• $182.3 million, over four years, for the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme to support regional Western Australians when they need to travel for medical treatment
• $158 million towards the Joondalup Health Campus expansion
• $73.3 million over the next five years for the Geraldton Health Campus stage 1 redevelopment – to expand the emergency department, inclusion of an acute psychiatric unit and a mental health short stay unit
• $55.9 million investment into health technology and priority infrastructure projects
• $46.9 million to replace medical equipment over 2018-2019 and 2019-2020
• $46.4 million to redevelop the Newman Health Service
• $27.1 million towards the district hospital investment program
• $24.9 million to expand rehabilitative, neonatal and midwifery services at Osborne Park Hospital
• $21 million towards the small hospital and nursing post refurbishment program
• $17.4 million for the primary health centres demonstration program
• $11.8 million to establish a Mental Health Observation Area Plus Unit at Royal Perth Hospital to support inner city mental health needs
• $10.2 million over the next five years to construct and operate a Mid West community mental health step up / step down service
• $10 million to fund information and communication technology investments into clinical and corporate systems
• $9.3 million to fast-track 33 more alcohol and drug rehabilitation beds in the South West
• $6.8 million towards renal dialysis services
• $5 million for the Tom Price Hospital
• $4.4 million on upgrades at the 193-bed Peel Health Campus
• $3.5 million towards the Pilbara Health Partnership
• $2.2 million for protective equipment to bolster safety for front-line health staff
• $1.8 million for a family birthing centre at Fiona Stanley Hospital to provide south metropolitan families access to midwifery led care
• $1.5 million to replace defibrillators and monitors
• $500,000 to redevelop the 64-bed aged care Valley View Residence in Collie

Seems to be an awful lot of bricks and mortar and not much technology! Also since the Budget has outlays of $5B or so for health it is hard to know where the $37B number comes from? Bit too cute I reckon….

Really need to try a bit harder team!

David.