Peel Health Emergency: Canning Labor candidate Mellisa Teede ready to fight for Federal funds

With “no doubt” that the local hospital is big priority for the community, Ms Teede said she would be vying for Peel to receive funding from Labor’s recently announced Better Hospitals funding commitment. 

“Bill Shorten and Federal Labor have announced that it will invest $2.8 billion into the Better Hospitals Fund and that is a commitment to deliver more beds in the emergency department, more wards and more doctors, nurses and health staff,” she said.  

“Absolutely I am talking to Bill Shorten and his shadow health minister and the state health minister around making sure Peel hospital gets chunk of that money.”

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If elected in the yet-to-be-announced Federal election, Labor’s Better Hospitals Fund would see $2.8 billion extra investment from 2019-2025 in the aim of reducing ED and elective surgery waiting times. 

Ms Teede said she hoped Peel Health Campus would see a portion of this funding once decisions were made as to who would be responsible for an ED expansion. 

“I appreciate that there are some immediate issues, hurdles to some extent, given that there was a contract signed before the state Labor government got in,” the Labor candidate said.  

“To be honest, I would think it's incumbent on the current provider anyway. If there needs to be an expanded ED section and the creation of more beds, that would be part of their contractual obligation to some extent.

“But if that hasn't been firmed up with the previous government then I appreciate we've got to look at how this expansion is going to happen.

“Is it going to be through a private provider and a future contract or is it going to be all government funded?”

Ms Teede said she also agreed with Mandurah state MP David Templeman for the need of a comprehensive health plan for the Peel region, which goes beyond planning for just the hospital. 

She believed the answer for the Peel region is a tier system.

“I get the impression that people are being pushed out of the hospital sooner than they should be, just simply because of beds,” she said.  

“I think the state government's investment in some of the mental health for youth is good, and it's a fantastic start but there are still gaps in our mental health support. 

“There are men that I've spoken to quite freely opened up to me about their mental health, they are veterans – not old veterans, young ex-defence workers – and FIFO workers. 

“Those two categories; I'm really worried about the instances of mental health in our community. 

“And that is all brought about be as a result of all the pressures that they've been experiencing.”

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