MEDIA RELEASE: I’m a GP and This Hospital Audit Terrifies Me
Dr Brian Walker, a practising general practitioner and Member of the Legislative Council, has called for three concrete measures to address systemic hospital infrastructure failures revealed in the latest audit of WA hospitals.
Dr Brian Walker, a practising general practitioner and Member of the Legislative Council, has called for three concrete measures to address systemic hospital infrastructure failures revealed in the latest audit of WA hospitals.
Speaking from clinical experience, Dr Walker said the problem reflects management system failure rather than age of buildings alone.
"Hospitals do not suddenly fall into disrepair. They reach that point after years of deferred maintenance, reactive decision-making, and the absence of basic governance discipline" he said.
He characterised predominantly reactive maintenance as "managed deterioration" and said clear governance frameworks are absent.
Dr Walker has set three tests for credible government action:
- Immediate publication of the audit findings with transparent redactions;
- Adoption of clear benchmarks and public key performance indicators for hospital maintenance and renewal; and
- A properly structured infrastructure renewal programme that prioritises planned maintenance over reactive repairs.
He said procurement rules must be recalibrated so routine repairs do not stall for months while capital processes are applied.
