Opposition Leader Mark McGowan has called on the State Government to improve the facilities at Shenton Park’s Quadriplegic Centre.

Mark McGowan talking to the media outside the centre. Source: Nabilla Morgan

Mr McGowan’s comments came after Daniel Stokes, a resident at the centre, spoke to 6PR about faulty plumbing at the centre. The problem had forced residents to deal with cold showers.

Mr Stokes said there were many problems at the centre and the  50-year-old water system was just one of them.

“I ended up in Charlie’s over the weekend. My temperature had dropped,” Stokes said.

“The hot water goes off every now and then. It goes on, it goes off, and then in summer it’s pefect.”

Mr Stokes said staff at the centre were “perfect”, but the facilities were not.

“My advice to Mr Barnett and the Liberal government is fix this problem today. Fix this problem today and fix it permanently,” Mr McGowan said.

“We can’t have a situation where people who are quadriplegics are having cold showers or are alternatively being scolded. Last year a resident here was scolded. Today we find out there’s cold showers on one of the coldest mornings of the year.”

In early 2015, a resident received third degree burns when a thermostatic valve burst.

The centre was built in the 1960s to house severely injured patients and has not been refurbished to cater for electric wheelchairs and other technology.

Daniel Stokes in bed after freezing shower this morning. Source: Nabilla Morgan

“It’s just not right. It’s just not fair that people who are vulnerable and in this situation can’t even have a hot shower and I’m saying to the government make it a priority today to fix this,” Mr McGowan said.

“We saw last week the government was spending $80,000 on some new doors in the bar at parliament house. How is that a priority, yet hot showers for quadriplegics is not?”