Bentley Hospital 'under threat'
The future of Bentley Hospital is under serious threat, according to WA's nursing union and the State Opposition.
They want the State Government to reveal its plans for the 199-bed public hospital, after a staff meeting last week failed to spell out changes to its services or address fears that it would be downgraded to little more than a suburban health clinic.
_The West Australian _understands that the hospital's maternity unit is in doubt, despite a record number of babies born there last year, and changes to elective surgery are also likely as it moves to become a specialist hospital.
Health Minister Kim Hames has previously said Bentley's obstetrics services would stay open at least until Fiona Stanley Hospital's maternity unit opened - which happened earlier this month.
In response to questions about what services were being cut at Bentley, Royal Perth Group acting executive director Aresh Anwar would only say it was still being decided.
"Whatever the outcome, all permanent WA Health employees will retain their permanent employee status while they remain WA Health employees," Dr Anwar said.
Australian Nursing Federation State secretary Mark Olson wrote to Dr Hames this week calling for clarification about the hospital.
"We believe this valuable community asset is under immediate threat," he said.
"We've been made aware of discussions in recent days to leave only a few services functioning and we're not sure that what will be left after the changes could even be called a hospital, and it appears a more accurate name will be Bentley clinic."
Shadow health minister Roger Cook said the Health Department seemed to be softening up staff for cuts to services.
"Bentley is an asset that is under threat because the Government doesn't know how it's going to pay for all the recurrent costs at Fiona Stanley Hospital," he said.
