The $14.9 million Bunbury Critical Care Project was made possible through $14.1 million from the Commonwealth's Taking Pressure Off Public Hospitals program for expansion of the emergency department and establishment of the short stay unit. The State Government invested $800,000 to develop the intensive care unit.

The project outcomes included:

• Establishment of an adult Intensive Care Unit Level 1* facility funded by the State Government - a first for rural WA (Stage 1)
• Expansion of the Emergency Department (Stage 2)
• Establishment of an ED “Fast Track” unit and a 10 bed Short Stay Unit (Stage 3).

Here you can find out more about the three separate stages which helped shape the Bunbury Critical Care Unit.

Stage 1 completed: improved intensive care unit

The building, engineering services and equipment upgrade works to provide full Intensive Care Unit facilities were completed in early 2011.  The Intensive Care Unit Level 1 has been fully operational since December 2012 with full intensive care specialist cover.

The Intensive Care Unit service in Bunbury enables care closer to home for many South West people who might otherwise need to be transferred to Perth.  The Intensive Care Unit also has the capacity to take patients from the Great Southern and adjacent parts of the Wheatbelt.

* In Australia, hospital intensive care units are defined by the complexity of care they can safely provide. They range from Level 1 services that provide short term care for general adult patients through to Level 3 services that can provide longer term and more complex intensive care.

As an adult Intensive Care Level 1 service, the Bunbury Intensive Care Unit is expected to cater for around 25% of patients who require admission to an intensive care unit.

Patients who require very complex or extended care will still be transferred to one of the major Level 2/3 type Intensive Care Unit facilities in Perth.

Stage 2 completed: more ED treatment bays

Construction of the expanded Emergency Department to increase the number of treatment bays was completed in May 2013 and became fully operational in June 2013.

Stage 3 completed: fast-track and short-stay units

The redevelopment of the vacated former Emergency Department space into the “See and Treat” (Fast Track) and Short Stay Units was completed in late 2013.

Overall the redeveloped Critical Care facilities and services include:

• 8 bed dedicated adult High Dependency/Intensive Care Unit
• 27 Emergency Department treatment bays including Fast Track
• 10 bed Short Stay Unit

The redeveloped Critical Care departments at Bunbury Hospital support improved models of emergency care and provide a dedicated unit for short stays or overnight patients.