Some local patients visiting Bowral Hospital are being transferred more than an hour away to Bankstown as the hospital experiences a bed shortage due to maintenance work in one of its wards.
The hospital currently has a reduced number of beds available for patients due to asbestos remediation work being carried out in sections of the Milton Park Ward, which is being completed in two stages.
As such four patients during the last week have being transferred by ambulance to Bankstown Hospital for ongoing care, a situation that has concerned Member for Southern Highlands Peta Seaton.
Ms Seaton has questioned why closer hospitals such as Camden or Campbelltown weren't used, and why space at the Southern Highlands Private Hospital wasn't used by the public hospital during this time.
However, Bowral Hospital general manager Denis Thomas said Bankstown Hospital was chosen for redirecting extra Bowral Hospital patients because it had the maximum number of staffed beds available to cater for urgent or complex care patients who may need to be transferred.
"Transferring the patients to Bankstown Hospital was chosen as the best and most efficient use of Sydney South West Area Health Service resources while continuing to provide an excellent standard of care," he said.
Full story: SHN, Wednesday, March 29, 2006.
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