WINGECARRIBEE residents angered about the state of
Bowral Hospital have formed a community support group
to help staff and patients to push for better health
services.
Around 100 people attended a meeting called by Goulburn MP Pru Goward and Shadow Minister for Health
Jillian Skinner on Monday to allow residents to discuss
their concerns.
The meeting voted to form the community support group
to air residents’ experiences with the health services and
lobby for change, after it was noted that neither hospital
staff nor the community advisory committee were allowed to speak to the media.
The meeting discussed concerns that a state-wide directive changing the status of emergency department
doctors from permanent part-time to casual may drive
staff away, raising doubts about its long-term future.
“The way doctors are being treated is unacceptable,” said a member of the public who did not wish to be named.
“They have changed the terms of their employment
without any discussion and we have doctors who, under
current law, don’t know where they stand.”
Ms Goward warned that even if the emergency department was not shut, it could “wither away” by attrition as staff and support services gradually
disappeared.
Questi ons were also raised about the future of obstetric
and neo-natal services at Bowral Hospital.
Other concerns brought up at the meeting included:
■ The two acute care psychiatric care beds are
insufficient for the area’s needs;
■ Mental health services, especially for juveniles, are
inadequate for “massive demand”;
■ Although the Bowral Hospital has two kidney
dialysis chairs, funded through a public appeal, some
renal patients still travel to Liverpool for dialysis because
Bowral has no renal care nurse; and,
■ Long waiting lists for public dental services.
One woman told Ms Skinner that she had waited 10
years for dental treatment, only to be told that her name
had been removed from the waiting list.
Speakers also called for the return of hospital-based
training and local management of hospitals.
Ms Skinner said that many of Bowral Hospital’s problems,
such as the inadequate mental health services, were
the result of staffing difficulties.
The meeting applauded Ms Skinner’s pledge to abolish
area health services in favour of district-based
management, reintroduce local hospital boards, and
enhance clinical staff councils and the role of Directors of
Nursing.
“The biggest of the area health services is the size of
Germany - it is just unmanageable,” Ms Skinner said.
“[The area health services] create seven extra layers of
bureaucracy we need to go through to get a decision
made.”
Ms Skinner stressed that concerns about the hospital were not criticisms of the medical and nursing staff.
She said the hospital needed a proper plan of
management taking into account future growth of the
area.
‘We must be realistic in our expectations - there is not a
huge amount of money available,” she said.
“But we are on the brink of disaster in health and there is
much that can be done to make healthier hospitals
without a lot of money.
“There are 44,000 people in the shire and we must have a hospital that can cope.”
More than 15 people have already expressed interest in
being part of a community support group being coordinated by Di Hurdwell and Nick Illek.
Interested people should contact Ms Hurdwell via robinhurdwell@yahoo.com.au.
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