The Barnett government has been accused of prioritising its budget ahead of critically injured patients after it denied an urgent request for a $7 million helipad upgrade at Royal Perth Hospital.
The hospital's helipad is rated to handle five tonnes but must be rated at 7.5 tonnes to accept two recently-purchased emergency choppers, according to opposition health spokesman Roger Cook.
"The Liberals have messed up the budget to such an extent they can't even come up with $7 million to upgrade the helipad at one of our major hospitals," Mr Cook said on Friday.
"The (Health) Department put this project front and centre on its list of priorities. It doesn't take an expert to know just how vital a functioning helipad is.
"The Liberals are prioritising their own budget ahead of the wellbeing of critically unwell patients."
But Treasurer Mike Nahan said the state government understood the critical importance of the helipad.
"Engineering and feasibility work needs to be undertaken to ensure the helipad can receive heavier helicopters, including military aircraft, as part of the upgrade, which is not due until at least mid-2018," Dr Nahan said.
Mr Cook has already taken aim at the state government over Royal Perth Hospital in parliament this week, saying the Liberals got a lot of votes at the last state election based on a commitment to redevelop the ageing facility, but had no intention to do so.
"Here we are, in the third year of this government's second term, and there is still not any sort of plan for the redevelopment of that hospital," he said on Wednesday.
"This would have to be the biggest Liberal Party lie at the last election."
