WA hospitals considering outsourcing

Dateline: 25.11.2009
Author: Press release

The Building Service Contractors’ Association of Australia (BSCAA) has welcomed a proposal to outsource non-medical services in Western Australian hospitals.

The Western Australian Health Minister, Dr Kim Hames, has put forward a proposal to seek expressions of interest from private contractors to operate non-clinical cleaning and other services at the new Murdoch hospital as well as the Fiona Stanley Hospital.

Rodney Barnes, BSCAA national president of the Building Service Contractors Association (BSCAA) said the Association’s members would welcome the opportunity to tender for services.

“Suppliers who are members of BSCAA are highly professional, well trained and competitive in providing advanced levels of hygiene and bacterial control in large buildings, institutions and public areas throughout Australia. Several years ago, one of our member companies was called in by Royal Perth Hospital to address cleaning issues after 12 of its patients contracted the bacterium Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE), a potentially deadly superbug,” Barnes noted.

Also this year at Royal Perth Hospital, an outbreak of norovirus was found in at least two wards. Norovirus is a potentially deadly and highly-contagious virus which can be life-threatening to the elderly and young children.

“Our Association provides members with continual training and support programs that ensure that suppliers of cleaning services follow best practice that is delivered at competitive rates. It makes sense that WA taxpayers receive value for money while non-clinical areas of hospitals are cleaned to the exacting standards demanded by building managers.

“A competitive bidding and tender process by private contractors would offer the government economic advantages, while the accountability and measurement of performance would be the same whether services are provided by public servants or private organisations,” Barnes said. It is understood a decision on outsourcing will be made in the second half of next year.

WA hospitals considering outsourcing