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“WHAT’S going to happen with the money?”
This is the question Highlands resident Peter Edwards has asked regarding the $50 million allocated to Bowral and District Hospital.
Mr Edwards previously worked in the health system, and he said he was concerned about the plans for the Bowral public hospital.
Specific plans regarding where the funds will be spent have yet to be released.
“In my former role at NSW Health, I used to facilitate meetings with council members, hospital staff, union people and members of the community during the planning process when money was allocated hospitals,” he said.
“Consultation should take place, and it hasn’t with Bowral hospital.
“Nearly $3 million has already been spent and no one knows anything.”
Mr Edwards said the process surrounding the planning for the hospital was not transparent.
“There’s no information, it all seems very secretive,” he said.
A 2015 media release from NSW health minister Jillian Skinner stated the money would be used to “deliver upgraded facilities” to provide “improved access to services and meet future demand”.
The $50 million in funding has not yet appeared in state budget papers or Treasury documents. The NSW state budget papers can be accessed at http://www.budget.nsw.gov.au/.
Mr Edwards said he wanted community consultation to become a priority before any more money was spent.
“People should know what’s going on and be informed, so they can keep an eye on the process,” he said.
“To start with, I would like to see what has happened with planning to date and what the service plans [for the hospital] are, as it’s not clear from the health minister’s announcement.”
Mr Edwards said the invitation to non-government sectors to invest in the hospital meant the government money might not be spent on facility upgrades.
“If the infrastructure is to be paid for by private investors, so where will the government’s money go?” he said.
“[The government] is saying the money will go to health, but nowhere does it say it will go to services.”
Wollondilly MP Jai Rowell said partnership with the non-government sector would bring “real benefits”.
“Costs of building the new hospitals will be shared with the partner operator, allowing the new facility to be delivered at a reduced cost to taxpayers,” he said.
“It will allow the hospital to be built faster and the savings made will be re-invested into front-line health services.”
According to Mr Rowell, the clinical services plan for the hospital had been signed off. However, the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development’s website said the plan was still being finalised.
Mr Edwards was also concerned about the future relationship between Bowral and District Hospital and the Southern Highlands Private Hospital if there were two different private operators.
“If the outcome of the [invitation] selects someone other than Ramsay Health [the private operator of the Southern Highlands Private Hospital], what are the chances of them working together?” he said.
“It would be like Woolworths and Coles working side-by-side.”
The Bowral and District Hospital Operational Plan can be found here.
According to the South West Sydney Local Health District Strategic Priorities in Health Care to 2021 report:
- “Bowral and District Hospital will remain a District hospital, mainly providing services for the local community. Current linkages with the private hospital will be strengthened, as will network arrangements primarily with Campbelltown and Liverpool hospitals. Significant work will be required to redevelop the hospital infrastructure to more comprehensively and appropriately provide a modern health care environment. Medical services will be enhanced to provide continuous coverage 24/7, along with expansion in surgical short stay services, cancer services, aged care, rehabilitation and neurology services anticipated. Provision of adult and paediatric ENT services and adult urology services will be explored. Medical ambulatory care for adults and children will also be enhanced to enable the delivery of a broader range of services locally. Networks with larger District hospitals will be maintained and consolidated with rapid transfer of complex patients undertaken as required. Maternity services will be a part of this networked model.”
The full report can be found here.
You can also view the Bowral and District Hospital Operational Plan 2014-2018 here.