International service company Serco Australia, which runs Acacia Prison, has been named the preferred bidder to provide non-clinical facilities and support management at Fiona Stanley Hospital.
International service company Serco Australia, which runs Acacia Prison, has been named the preferred bidder to provide non-clinical facilities and support management at Fiona Stanley Hospital.
The prison has been ranked one of the state's most efficiently run prisons.
The Hospital will be public owned for public patients but the non-clinical services will be provided by the private sector.
Health Minister Kim Hames said there were numerous parts of the contract for non-clinical services to be negotiated including engineering and building maintenance, security, ground maintenance, linen, cleaning, catering, waste services, managed equipment services, transport, procurement, sterilisation, reception and clerical services.
"It is clear that services are likely to be of an even higher standard than those currently delivered across WA Health," said Dr Hames.
"This is partly due to Serco's use of new state-of-the-art technology and sophisticated systems that are not currently in use in the public health system in Western Australia."
During the evaluation, the Government team reviewed sites in Australia and internationally where Serco already provided health support services.
"At every hospital, staff and patients confirmed that services were of the highest quality and worked cohesively with public sector clinical staff," he said.
The state government will now begin contract negotiations with Serco with a view to finalising and agreeing on a range of contractual details.
It is hoped a contract will be signed later this year.
Sero Australia managing director David Campbell has welcomed the opportunity to proceed to the next stage of negotiations.
"Fiona Stanley Hospital will set a benchmark for high-quality, modern and innovative healthcare," Mr Campbell said.
"We will be particularly excited to have the opportunity to significantly improve the capacity and
standard of healthcare services in Western Australia.
"We have brought together expertise from around the globe.
"Our team shares the state's vision to create an experience for patients, visitors and staff of Fiona Stanley Hospital that will be characterised by compassion, efficiency, quality and sustainability in every sense.
"Through a truly integrated services delivery model, Serco Australia would assist WA Health in
their transformation of healthcare service delivery.
"Our intention and plans are not only to deliverservices innovatively but to genuinely contribute to improving the health of those who are cared for at Fiona Stanley Hospital," said Mr Campbell.
Mr Campbell said Serco had strong links to Perth through numerous contracts including transport information and ticketing for Transperth, ownership and operation of
the iconic Indian Pacific trans-continental train, maritime support to the Navy at HMAS Sterling and elsewhere along the coast through our joint venture DMS Maritime, and immigration services at multiple locations across the state.
See statement from the minister below:
The State Government today announced that a preferred bidder has been selected from the private sector to provide non-clinical facilities management and support services at Fiona Stanley Hospital.
Health Minister Kim Hames said Serco Australia Pty Ltd, a major organisation with local, national and international experience in facilities management service, had been chosen to proceed to the next stage of contract negotiations.
Services that will be negotiated as part of the contract for non-clinical services at
Fiona Stanley Hospital include engineering and building maintenance, security, ground maintenance, linen, cleaning, catering, waste services, managed equipment services, transport, procurement, sterilisation, reception and clerical services.
"The detailed evaluation that has taken place since the Government called for expressions of interest in November 2009 has shown us that the private sector's innovative new approaches will lead to improvements in hospital services," Dr Hames said.
"It is clear that services are likely to be of an even higher standard than those currently delivered across WA Health. This is partly due to Serco's use of new state-of-the-art technology and sophisticated systems that are not currently in use in the public health system in Western Australia.
"During the evaluation, the Government team reviewed sites in Australia and internationally where Serco already provided health support services. At every hospital, staff and patients confirmed that services were of the highest quality and worked cohesively with public sector clinical staff.
"I would like to take this opportunity once again to reassure staff working in support services in existing hospitals that no permanent member of staff will become redundant as a consequence of the decision to outsource non-clinical services at Fiona Stanley Hospital."
The Minister said Fiona Stanley Hospital would be a publicly owned hospital for public patients, with clinical services provided by the public sector.
The Government will now begin contract negotiations with Serco with a view to finalising and agreeing on a range of contractual details. It is hoped a contract will be signed later this year.
When it opens in 2014, the 783-bed Fiona Stanley Hospital, which includes 140 beds in the new State rehabilitation service, will be the southern metropolitan area's major tertiary hospital.
Services at the hospital will include:
- a full range of acute medical and surgical services
- the State burns service
- the 140-bed State rehabilitation service
- state-of-the-art emergency care which will support a major trauma centre
- comprehensive cancer services including radiotherapy treatment facilities, medical oncology and haematology
- cardiothoracic surgery
- neurosurgery
- a mental health unit with a secure wing and a mother-and-baby unit
- obstetrics and neonatology services
- paediatric services
- facilities for pathology, bio-medical engineering and cell tissue manufacturing
- a modern medical imaging centre that will provide fast and accurate information to clinicians
- a world-class medical research facility to be built in conjunction with universities and the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research.
