nsw rural health alliance
A combined initiative of Save Our Hospital (Pambula), No More Bandaids Inc. (Tumut) and Bellingen Health Action Group (Bellingen)
The intention of the NSW Health Alliance is to build a collection of like-minded communities who want to share a common avenue to express their various disenchantments with the current provision of adequate health service delivery across rural NSW.

The rules are simple - assuming contributors each represent their community, are honest,
and avoid both libellous statements and bad language - they can tell their story. The site's Disclaimer page regarding third party contributions would cover anything else.
Each community represents itself. It appears that many do not have an avenue such as this website to say what's on their mind. The NSW Rural Health Alliance offers that free of charge. The process is simple - contributors email info@savepambulahospital.com.
This page relates fact and opinion from communities throughout south east NSW.


BATEMANS BAY | BATLOW | BEGA | BOMBALA | BRAIDWOOD | COOMA | DELEGATE | GUNDAGAI | JINDABYNE | MORUYA | ORBOST | QUEANBEYAN | TUMBARUMBA | TUMUT | WAGGA WAGGA | GRIFFITH

Choose a community and click to read what they have to say.

Most articles have been gleaned from the public domain. Some have been offered by readers.
Writers have focussed on the quality of health care provision recently experienced in their area.

TUMUT

Ref: 11.08am Monday 02 August 2010 ABC News

Council can't take credit for surgery plan

The Greater Southern Area Health Service says a decision to reinstate an emergency Caesarean service in Tumut has nothing to do with pressure from the local council.

Last Tuesday, Tumut Shire Council passed a motion highlighting a number of health concerns which called for the immediate reinstatement of emergency surgery after hours.

Jill Ludford of Greater Southern says the plan to resume the emergency service has been months in the making.

"I've been working with our local obstetric general practitioners to look at starting this after-hours emergency caesar practice now for a number of months and we've been working up a roster with our midwives to make sure that we can start it," she said.

Ms Ludford says Tumut not had a required specialist for two years but that has now changed.

"I think that it's really exciting news for Tumut that we have now got a resident anaesthetist in the town and it's very exciting for our service to be able to provide those emergency Caesareans after hours," she said.

Ms Ludford says Greater Southern is committed to retaining the service which starts next Monday.

Ref: 9.56am Saturday 31 July 2010 – Yass Tribune - Alix Douglas

'No doctor': the last thing you want to hear when you're having a heart attack

When local councillor Geoff Frost fronted at Yass Hospital with chest pains the last thing he wanted to hear was that the closest doctor was an hour away.

Although he didn't know it at the time, Cr Frost was having a heart attack as he walked through the doors of the hospital at 10pm on Wednesday July 21. It was about this time he was informed by the nurses that the facility was without medical officer coverage. Greater Southern Area Health (GSAHS) has admitted to the Tribune the emergency department at Yass Hospital has been left without a doctor on seven occasions since January.

Ref: 9.48am Saturday 31 July 2010 – ABC Riverina

Council claims emergency surgery win

Tumut Shire Council has had a small win after raising concerns about local emergency surgery.

The council passed a motion this week calling for a local dialysis unit in Tumut and to support and lobby for the development of a new Wagga Wagga Base Hospital.

The New South Wales Government has dropped a $300 million Wagga redevelopment in favour of a $90 million upgrade.

Mayor Trina Thomson says it is an appalling decision and comes amid new reports that Tumut may lose its maternity unit.

Councillor Thomson says the motion also calls for continued lobbying for a new level three standard Tumut District Hospital and for the Greater Southern Area Health Service to immediately allow emergency surgery to be done at Tumut Hospital outside the hours of 9:00am and 4:00pm.

"That just does not seem to make good sense anywhere, economically or viably," she said.

"So the announcement was made last night that they are now going to, as of the 9th of August, they will have an on-call roster for nurses to deal with emergency surgery."

3.29pm Wednesday 24 February 2010 - From NMBS Inc.

More Troubles for Tumut Residents and No More Bandaid Solutions Inc.

Read details

3.08pm Wednesday 24 February 2010 - Tumut and Adelong Times, Friday, February 12, 2010

CONCERNS OVER HEALTH CARE CLINIC 'UNFOUNDED'

Editor: The Tumut and Adelong Times has allowed this story to run in spite of the problems it contains- see below.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Riverina Division of General Practice and Primary Health has rejected claims the community has not been adequately consulted about a planned new primary health centre on unused land at Tumut Hospital.

Nancye Piercy said she was disappointed at what she described as misinformation being circulated regarding the $2.5 million facility, which would accommodate two existing Tumut GP practices.

The doctors, with the help of the Riverina Division of GP, have applied for federal funding of $250,000 to equip the medical centre. Under the proposal, a private developer, a resident of the Tumut area, is proposing to fund and construct the purpose-designed health facility.

Apart from housing the two doctors, the new building would have provision for private allied health professionals, a dental surgery, a pharmacy and medical imaging facilities.

The plans include consultation rooms and education facilities for trainee doctors utilising advanced information technology. There would also be provision for three holding beds, which would provide an area where patients can be monitored for short periods during surgery hours.

The proposal has been criticised by local lobby group No More Band Aids (sic), which expressed concerns about the level of consultation undertaken with the community about the project, and the impact it may have on efforts to establish a new hospital at Tumut.

But Mrs Piercy said those concerns were unfounded, noting that the proposal dates back some time, having previously failed to attract government funding last year.

The original application submitted in April 2009 was unsuccessful with feedback indicating that the proposal needed to be further developed and fine tuned.

"The Riverina Division of General Practice and Primary Health did arrange for three consecutive meetings in Tumut on Wednesday, April 15, 2009 to brief members of No More Bandaid Solutions Inc., the New Hospital for Tumut Committee and the Tumut Health Service Advosory Committee," Mrs Piercy said.

"Over recent months the Division has worked with the Tumut practices to prepare a second submission under the National Rural and Remote Health Infrastructure Program (NRRHIP) for the maximum amount of $250,000 to furnish and equip the Medical Centre component of the proposed facility.

The planned Tumut facility will provide GPs and other primary health professionals with attractive facilities and a work environment in close proximity to Tumut Hospital which will assist with retention and future recruitment of GPs to Tumut, particularly those with procedural skills," Mrs Piercy said.

She said a sketch site plan indicated there was ample room for the current hospital site to accommodate the future needs of a new hospital together with an Integrated Primary Health Centre.

The division chief made no apologies for her organisations (sic) fulfilling its role to work with general practice to improve the health of communities in the region by strengthening the effectiveness of general practice.

She said the proposed Tumut Integrated Primary Health Centre was modelled on the successful Cootamundra Primary Health Centre which has been in operation for two years and provides a broad range of medical and other primary health services to the community.

Dr John Curnow, who commences practice in Tumut in the coming weeks, visited Cootamundra Primary Health Centre and was strongly influenced to join one of the Tumut practices when he was made aware of the primary health facility being planned for Tumut.

The Tumut proposal is currently in the planning phase with negotiations continuing with Greater Southern Area Health Service for the acquisition of a suitable parcel of land on the Tumut Hospital site.

The time frame for the establishment of the proposed facility is around 18 months, which is dependent upon GSAHS finalising a Master Plan for the site and acquisition of a parcel of land which can accommodate the proposed facility.

Mrs Piercy said the Board of the Riverina Division of General Practdice and Primary Health was currently supporting applications for funding under the NRRHIP to support the establishment of similar facilities in Temora and Broken Hill and is confident that the result will be the provision improved primary health services across a number of communities.

Something is rotten in the state of Tumut! Read the attached PDF for an entirely different description of the facts. Four paragraphs leading a letter to The EditorTumut and Adelong Times Ltd claim...

"In the case of the current Div of GPs application for federal funding, there has been no public consultation at all. It was not the Div of GPs who broke the news about their proposal to divide up the hospital – NMBS Inc. did.

"The first time the Div of GPs spoke to the public was at 6pm on Wednesday 10th February, 2010 - almost two weeks after their proposal was submitted to the Federal Government.

"One month earlier NMBS Inc wrote to the Div of GPs and GSAHS asking questions about the proposed carve up of the hospital. These 21 questions remain unanswered, and in the case of the Div of GPs, unacknowledged.

"Any claim that the application has received adequate public consultation is false. In truth, the current attempt to privatize Crown Land was, and still is, shrouded in secrecy."

Download and read the PDF

Headline: Tumut & Adelong Times Tues 12.1.10 p.1

"NEW HEALTH SERVICE MANAGER BRINGS A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE"

Footnote to the "porkies" story.

Tumut Health Service is to have a new manager as of Wednesday 27th January, 2010.   

Maria Roche, who grew up in Adelong, comes with a wealth of nursing and management experience. 

Her 18 yr career started in Sydney where she was a theatre nurse at Royal North Shore Hospital. 

Her managerial appointments have included Site Manager at Hay, Hillston and Tumbarumba MPS, where she has spent the last seven years, before recently briefly acting as Mgr at Batlow MPS since Sept 2009.

According to the T & A Times story, Maria will spend four days per week in Tumut and one day overseeing the manager at Batlow MPS.

The Tumut community welcomes Maria and wishes her well in her new appointment.  We look forward to discussions with her about our health service and the future of Tumut Hospital.

Um, ....did we get a new manager for Batlow MPS out of that deal ?  Well, yes we did, we think.

Acting Manager, Alison McGregor is continuing in her managerial role.  GSAHS have assurred Batlow residents that the position has been advertised and will be on full pay and full administration duties.

The administration will continue to be under the umbrella of Tumut Health Service with new manager, Maria Roche.

Sue Swann, No More Bandaid Solutions Inc., Media Correspondent

(Wagga Daily Advertiser, Riverina News Fri 22.1.10)

NEW HOSPITAL HIGH ON THE CITY (!) AGENDA

The Tumut community last night turned out in numbers to fight for a new hospital.

About 15 people attended the New Hospital for Tumut committee meeting held to discuss the proposed sale of hospital land.

Councillors and residents heard that GSAHS was preparing a masterplan for the site.

Tumut mayor Trina Thomson said it had been an amiable meeting.

"We took a positive step forward, we welcome GSAHS's decision to conduct a detailed study of the hospital grounds to ensure the best possible use," Councillor Thomson said.

"Council has a resolution focusing on the need for a new hospital but we also recognise the need for a quality health service in the area."

The committee moved three resolutions on the night, to be voted on at the next monthly meeting.

Firstly, that council ask GSAHS for the minutes of their meetings in relation to Tumut Hospital; that council write to the relevant authorities expresssing (grave) concern at the disposal of hospital land and lastly write to request planning begin as early as possible.

GSAHS, which has representatives on the committee said it was moving forward with the planning."

Wagga Daily Advertiser, Riverina News, Sat/Sun 23 & 24th January, 2010

LAND SALE FIGHT AT TUMUT HOSPITAL

Tumut's No More Bandaid Solutions (NMBS) have vowed to fight the sale of land around the town's hospital

The group is fed up with Greater Southern Area Health Service (GSAHS) and doesn't believe the land can possibly be labelled "surplus" when a new hospital is desperately needed.

Tumut Shire Council held a public meeting on Thursday night to discuss the issue and was happy with the progress made.

GSAHS said it would commit to a master plan of the site to study the best use for the land but NMBS believes the community deserves more from the health provider.

NMBS secretary Sue Swann said it was imperative that Tumut has a quality hospital for the future.

"Tumut, like all rural towns, relies on a strong public health system," she said.

"our public hospital is central to this and should be protected and upgraded, not sold off to the first bidder ....instead of downsizing and privatising, NSW Health should rethink the organisation of rural health services."

GSAHS declined to respond to the resolutions made yesterday furing the council meeting but have previously confirmed their intention to conduct the masterplan.

Both Tumut council and NMBS believe the town needs to retain its current level-three hospital, which should be re-developed to handle the 20,000 population base of the three adjoining shres: Tumut, Cungagai and Tumbarumba.

Group members will now strive to ensure there is more public consultation during the upcoming master plan process. 

Wagga Daily Advertiser, Riverina News Sat/Sun 23/24 Jan, 2010

No More Bandaid Solutions Inc. - Letter to Editor

Dear Sir

I refer to the article in your newspaper about the possible sale of hospital land (“Lack of consultation. Fears medical centre could jeopardise campaign for new hospital”. T&AT Jan 19, 2010).

I can now report that GSAHS has indeed confirmed it is prepared to shortly “dispose” of up to approximately 25% of land at Tumut Hospital for private development.

However, there is good news. GSAHS states that a “site master planning exercise” will be conducted early in 2010 to ensure the “disposal of surplus land will not impinge on current or future health service delivery for Tumut and the surrounding district”.

Such a planning exercise is exactly what NMBS Inc. has been wanting for a very long time.

In 2006 a Facility Review of Tumut District Hospital was conducted, followed a few months later by an Asset Audit. These were the first two steps in the planning process for a new hospital. The Asset Audit confirmed that Tumut Hospital was dysfunctional as a hospital with a score of only 39% functionality.

The next step GSAHS must take is the development of a site master plan. This will define exactly where and how a new hospital should be built to cater for the needs of people over the next 100 yrs.

I attach the site plan from the Facility Review which now shows the area of land being considered for sale to the (as yet unidentified) private developer. This land was identified in 2006 as one of the prime sites available for a new hospital.

NMBS Inc. members are of the view that if this land is sold, the available options for construction of a new hospital will be severely hampered, if not made impossible on the present site.

As the “planning exercise” will cost money, and because the loss of a 112 year old parcel of public land is irrevocable, I hope the planning will be thorough and comprehensive, so that we can all be confident the very best can be achieved for the people of Tumut over the next 112 years.

Sue Swann, Secretary, No More Bandaid Solutions Inc.

10.00am Thursday 21 January 2010

Breaking News from Tumut

Representatives of local hospital campaign team No More Bandaid Solutions Inc. will attend a special meeting of Tumut Shire Council's 'New Hospital for Tumut' Committee at 5pm today (Thursday 21st January, 2010) to disuss plans to sell off hospital land.

There is growing concern in the community that a plan put forward by a private enterprise consortium, spearheaded by Riverina Division of GPs (RDGP), will lead to the sale of Crown Land publicly owned since 1898. Tumut Hospital has occupied this land for 112 yrs.

An application for funding from the Federal Government’s National Rural & Remote Infrastructure Fund Program (NRRIFP) is being lodged by RDGP on behalf of the private enterprise group which includes two Tumut doctors and an unidentified private developer.

Efforts to obtain details of the plan by the hospital campaign team have so far been blocked.

Read more

9.55am Sunday 17 January 2010

Tumut citizens dudded by shonkey deals

NO MORE BANDAID SOLUTIONS INC.
P.O. Box 491, Tumut NSW 2720
e-mail: fixitnow@tpg.com.au
Web site: www.nomorebandaids.homestead.com

Private enterprise plans to acquire part of Tumut Hospital - Hospital Land Grab?

Greater Southern Area Health Service has earmarked approximately 25% of the Tumut Hospital grounds for sale or lease to a private developer.

The area in question is greater than the space occupied by the existing hospital.

Just before Christmas 2009, information began to emerge that the Riverina Division of General Practice and Primary Health Ltd, two local doctors, and an unnamed developer sought GSAHS permission to subdivide the publicly owned Tumut Hospital site. A site plan shows the area set aside occupies the full length of the available Lambie St. frontage and the entire north/west corner of the property.

A spokesperson for No More Bandaid Solutions Inc. (the local group pushing for a new Tumut Hospital) was shocked by the news of the subdivision. Efforts have been made to find out more about the proposal, but details have been difficult to find. NMBS Inc has been told by one of the principals that the Division of GP’s has obtained in principle support from GSAHS for sale of the land to the as yet unnamed developer.
NMBS Inc members have spoken to a wide range of local people and all were stunned by the news. Most people have reacted along the lines of“well that is the end of our chances of getting a new hospital”. Others want to know why there has been no public consultation.

The consortium is applying for the project to be partly funded by the Federal Government through
the National Rural and Remote Infrastructure Funding Program via an application to be lodged by the 29th January 2010. The Division of General

Practice has also sought a letter of support from Tumut Shire Council for the new proposal, yet very little is known by anyone other than the applicants just what is proposed for the site. CEO of Riv DGP’s, Nancye Pierce, is on leave until February (after the funding application deadline).
It is clear, however, the private developer will be the owner of anything built on the site and will charge rent to the occupants of the building.

Whether sold or leased, the capital outlay will undoubtedly be large and the question is, how will this be recouped. Will patients ultimately pay more for their health care?

Whilst NMBS Inc fully supports projects which are well thought out, properly planned, economically viable, and provide affordable health services appropriate to this community's needs, so far, there is no evidence that this project meets any of these criteria.

Some information gathered by NMBS Inc. gives great cause for concern. NMBS Inc believe there are a great number of weighty questions to be answered about this proposed private enterprise development. Without an overall plan for a new hospital, the proposal cuts in half the choice of locations for a new hospital. It also increases the risk of the public hospital being downgraded from its current Level 3 status which provides services such as maternity, accident & emergency, acute care, general surgery etc.

In 2006 a Facility Review was commenced, the first stage of planning for a new hospital. All that is needed to complete the planning is money. Will the subdivision of the hospital site kill any hopes of a new Level 3 hospital and give us instead yet another bandaid solution?

3.02pm Wednesday 13 January 2010 - Sue Swan - No More Bandaid Solutions Incorporated - Private Correspondence

BREAKING NEWS FROM TUMUT

"NEW TUMUT HOSPITAL" CAMPAIGN OR "SAVE TUMUT HOSPITAL" ?

A fierce 5 yr campaign has been waged in Tumut by No More Bandaid Solutions Inc. to replace the crumbling 111 yr old public hospital. Tumut District Hospital is currently a Level III facility.

It seems the campaign may soon have to become "Save Tumut Hospital".

Just before Christmas, NMBS Inc. became aware of a scheme being hatched which could ultimately have a major impact on the future of the public hospital and health services in Tumut.

It seems GSAHS have given their written approval (in principle) for the subdivision of Tumut District Hospital site for sale/tfr/lease (not sure which) to a private developer !

This private developer would build (and own) a large medical centre to house privately owned GP practices and other medical services e.g. dentist, pharmacy, medical imaging, pathology and more. The complex would be administered by Riverina Division of General Practice and Primary Health Ltd for a fee. RDGP is a "not for profit" organisation and, as a charity, enjoys tax exemption status.

Two local doctors are parties to the scheme and an application for federal funding from the National Rural and Remote Infrastructure Funding Program is being lodged - deadline 29.1.2010.

Tumut Shire Council have been asked for a letter of support by 20th Jan 2010 and GSAHS have already indicated their support (in principle) for the project.

Only one problem. No-one knows about this !

There has been no consultation with either the local Council or the long suffering public who have spent the last ten years lobbying for a new hospital.

CEO of Riverina Division of GPs, Nancye Pierce, is on holidays until February. CEO of GSAHS, Heather Gray is on secondment. Tumut Shire Council do not meet until February. Parliaments are in recess. Most of the general public and businesses are hibernating due to the holiday season, fire season and heat waves.

Site plans indicating the size and location of the project, which NMBS Inc. have obtained, show an area occupying space larger than the existing hospital - approx. 25% of the available public land.

Any prospect of a new Level III hospital will be killed stone dead by this proposal.

Questions put to the applicants, GSAHS and TSC have gone unanswered. For example:

  • Does GSAHS have the authority to give approval, in principle or otherwise, for such radical changes to the public hospital site ?

  • Are there not rules about the sale of public land ? This is Crown Land, governed by the Crown Lands Act and other laws and conventions, including an obligation to follow due process and do necessary checks.

  • What is the identity of the developer and investors ?

  • Do any relationships exist between any of the parties involved ?

  • How will the developer obtain the land ? Will it be gifted, sold, leased ? How will the land value be calculated ?

  • How will the developer and investors recoup their substantial capital outlay ($millions) ?

  • What services will be involved, and will these be competing with existing services ?

  • Will there be bulk billing ? (answer: No)

  • Where is the business plan to show that the entity will be economically and socially sustainable and appropriate to the needs of patients ?

  • Why no public consultation ?

NMBS Inc. fully support projects which are well thought out, properly planned and which will provide affordable health services appropriate to this community's needs. So far, there is no evidence that this project meets any of these criteria.
What we have always wanted is a new, modern, purpose built LEVEL III PUBLIC HOSPITAL designed to meet the needs of our thriving community. An MPS is not appropriate for Tumut.

An unkind interpretation of the scheme could be that it is an opportunistic grab for control of prime publicly owned land to set up a privately owned medical McMansion, with the help of tax payers' money.

NMBS Inc., however, is not unkind. We have every confidence that the lack of consultation with interested parties and the general public was an understandable oversight.

Oh, by the way. Another Tumut medical practice (applying for funding from the same source), claim they knew nothing about this project. Another oversight ?

Well done everybody !

Stay tuned for the next chapter in this unfolding saga.....

Sue Swann
Secretary, No More Bandaid Solutions Inc.

2.08pm Friday 20 November 2009 - Sue Swan - No More Bandaid Solutions Incorporated - Private Correspondence

ARE GP SUPER CLINICS THE ANSWER IN RURAL AUSTRALIA ?

Federal Minister for Health, Nicola Roxon, spoke on ABC TV about the govt's plans for primary health care.  The opening of the first Super Clinics was featured, and the role of practioner nurses etc. was discussed.  Dr Tony Hobbs, (GP Cootamundra) Pres. Division of GPs was interviewed as one of the driving forces behind super clinics.

However, there is a lack of appreciation that GP clinics in many country towns, e.g. Tumut, have already been utilising their nurses to provide primary health care in much the same way as suggested in the featured TV coverage.

Nurses have been used in front line primary health care in towns like Tumut for decades.  GP surgeries in Merimbula and Pambula have probably also been operating a similar service. 

It is the metropolitan surgeries that have caused the log jams in hospital casualty depts., and hence the idea to establish "super clinics" to overcome the problem by getting patients treatment at these clinics, rather than overcrowding hospital emergency depts.

The service provided by our GP nurses in towns like Tumut might not have included issuing prescriptions, but it has provided comprehensive patient care e.g. general obs - blood pressure, bgl, weight & other data collection, advice re diet, medication regimes, minor treatments and wound dressings, vaccinations, pathology tests, baby health care, preliminary discussions for doctor, assistance with minor surgery etc.

We have been doing this in rural GP practices for yonks.  It is our hospitals i.e. bricks and mortar, in country areas which need attention, and the continual depletion of staffing and resources in hospitals and community services.

Super Clinics are NOT the answer for rural towns like Pambula and Tumut where there is a central public hospital and existing private GP clinics.  They are intended for very large centres of population where GP clinics do not utilise nursing in the abovementioned way - to take the pressure off hospitals.

And will super clinics provide adequate access to bulk billing ?

There has been scant mention of the lack of access to bulk billing as a causal factor in the overloading of metropolitan and base hospital casualty departments.  If patients do not have adequate access to bulk billing in the shiny new super clinics, will patients who were going to hospital emergency dept's because they could not afford GP fees continue to visit public hospitals ?

A model where a concentration of allied health services is located on the same premises as the public hospital in a country town could possibly work - if planned well, and integrated appropriately, and supported with adequate ongoing resources. 

However, if what are now classed as "community health services" are relocated off site from rural public hospitals, this could ultimately undermine the viability of existing public hospitals in the long term, and subsequently undermine whole rural economies.

Residents of rural towns and shires need to consider this issue carefully and calculate the effects that changes to the health system will have on the security and well being of their community.

Sue Swann
Secretary,
No More Bandaid Solutions Incorporated
P O Box 491, Tumut  NSW 2720

1.59pm Friday 20 November 2009 - Sue Swan - No More Bandaid Solutions Incorporated - Private Correspondence

THE DECLINE OF HEALTH SERVICES GENERALLY, RURAL HEALTH IN PARTICULAR...
AND THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER

The reasons for the sad decline in the health system generally, and in rural areas in particular are complex.  The list includes bad management practices, decisions made on inadequate research, neglect over decades in the fields of planning for infrastructure, training, provision of services and staffing, and an insidious widening gulf between society in city and country Australia.

Over the past two or three decades, Australian societal values and expectations have changed as a result of the technological revolution.  This has had a vast impact on our health system in rural Australia. 

Rural Australia is so often portrayed in the "Man from Snowy River" stereotype by media.  Whilst this might be appropriate for the promotion of tourism, it is a big turn off for young, sophisticated academics who seek to advance their careers as professionals in the field of medicine, a highly technical arena.

Tumut is one rural shire which has suffered greatly from this blight.

Once reliant on agriculture, Tumut shire now supports mega manufacturing plants and industries, which in turn have attracted associated smaller industrial enterprises and businesses.  This diversification has seen our economy through some tough times recently, including financial downturns and natural disasters.

Unfortunately, the "Man from Snowy River" stereotype seems to override these achievements in city boardrooms and the corridors of power where decisions about funding for roads and infrastructure are made. 

Too many decision makers know little or nothing about the reality of life outside the city in which their airconditioned office is located.

Tumut, for instance, is regarded on paper as a small, cold place (which it isn't) in the middle of nowhere in particular.  So why invest capital expenditure in Tumut when there are city transport projects to fund ?

Many bureaucrats have only a vague idea of Tumut's location - somewhere near Thredbo, or Cooma, in "the mountains" and buried under snow in winter.  In fact, our central town is located in a very attractive valley surrounded by undulating hills with mountains visible on the distant horizons.  Winters are mild, and summers are becoming rather hot.

These misconceptions held by bureaucrats, politicians and decision makers are now seriously hampering development in coastal and inland areas such as Tumut and Pambula/Merimbula.

The decision to build a new regional hospital at Bega and close Pambula Hospital is a case in point.  Bega is two thirds the size of Tumut, yet there is a plan to spend $100 million on a regional hospital there.

Despite the fact that there is no funding for the project, planning has proceeded and Pambula Hospital services have been decimated in preparation for closure, even though the new regional hospital at Bega is nowhere in sight.

Tumut Hospital is over 110 yrs old and has been refurbished and renovated to the nth degree.  Further capital expenditure is no longer viable, in fact any further refurbishment would present serious problems and dangers.

A new hospital was supposed to have been built by 2007.  At the close of 2009, Tumut is still next in line behind Wagga Base and Bega.  However, since funding has yet to be allocated to both of these projects, Tumut's prospects of a new hospital are still over the horizon, estimated to be at least 10 - 20 yrs away.

Due to the economic advances in the shire over the last decade, the decline in the public hospital and its services now places in jeopardy all the hard work done by everybody in the Tumut community.  A thriving economy needs a modern, accessible hospital and health service.  Further delay will present a very real threat to Tumut's hard won economic success, apart from the obvious social consequences.

The Pambula/Merimbula, Bega and Tumut shires are beset with the same problem.  The failure of our public health system to provide adequate infrastructure and services to viable rural communities.

Perhaps this should be the subject of discussion for a forum those who support the preservation of the public health system in rural Australia.

What does everybody else think about this ?

Sue Swann
Secretary,
No More Bandaid Solutions Incorporated
P O Box 491, Tumut  NSW 2720

Ref: 1.49pm Wednesday 11 November 2009 - Hansard

If you have an hour or two to spare read this horror story.

GSAHS breaks more promises and fails to deliver on health in Tumut. Readers will be tempted to ask who controls NSW - bureaucrats or politicians? In this case no-one with power holds the public health of residents in this area high on their agenda.

Ref: 8:10am Tuesday 13 October 2009 - Private Correspondence

GSAHS wouldn't tell us porkies, would they?

We recently discovered a plot to cut $200,000 from our budget.  Both the managers of Tumut and Batlow Hospitals were to be busted back to nurse manager with pay halved.  Naturally, both resigned.  We now have promises that both positions will be restored at full pay rates, to be advertised soon.  One GP's surgery lists were to be cut from 2 lists per month to 4hrs, but this too has been restored for the time being.  Of course  we believe what we are told....GSAHS wouldn't tell us porkies, would they?

ORBOST

Ref: Private correspondence - 9.40pm Friday 30 October 2009

A different idea examined.

On the invitation of a concerned community in Orbost SPHAG chairman, Geoff Dove, and Sharon Tapscott recently attended a meeting with the CEO of Orbost Regional Health in Orbost VIC to discuss the operation of its Multi-Purpose Service, which among other things includes a 30-bed acute care hospital with a maternity unit and which is governed independently by its own board management.

QUEANBEYAN

Ref: By johnboy ⋅ July 3, 2009

Queanbeyan Hospital bollocksing health throughout the region?

The ABC brings word of trouble at the shiny new Queanbeyan Hospital.Apparently Greater Southern Area Health Service haven’t managed to staff the facility properly, which is throwing pressure back onto Canberra’s facilities.Doctor Ross Hendry says mismanagement at the new hospital is having an effect on waiting times in Canberra. “With such an under under-utilisation of the theatres in Queanbeyan, one would think if Queanbeyan people and the Southern Area Health people were looked after locally that the waiting list in Canberra would be better,” he said.

BATLOW

Ref: Posted Fri Jan 2, 2009 12:00pm AEDT

Nurses demand Batlow Hospital safety risks fixed

Nurses at the new Batlow Hospital are refusing to admit more patients until defects in the multi-million dollar building are fixed.The NSW Nurses Association says there are loose wires, missing wall panels, a hole in an office roof and water leaks.
The union says nurses at Batlow have regularly raised concerns about the occupational health and safety risks to staff and residents since the building opened in August.
Emergencies will be managed, but new patients will be transferred to hospitals at Tumut or Wagga Wagga.
The Greater Southern Area Health Service has indicated it is working with the contractor to fix the problems at the Batlow MPS.

BATEMANS BAY

Ref Posted Wed Feb 03, 2010 - Batemans Bay Post

Frankie gets cranky about health

Save Pambula Hospital spokesman Frankie J Holden wants Eurobodalla residents to join his action group and fight against the NSW Government’s area health services.

For more local news and photos grab a copy of the Bay Post or Moruya Examiner.

Mr Holden met with local residents and government representatives in Moruya to discuss issues pertaining to rural and regional health.

“For lack of a better word, the current system is stuffed,” Mr Holden said.

Mr Holden wants rural and regional communities to band together and speak with one voice.

“(The area health services) are able to continually cut services because the small communities that are affected feel like they don’t have a voice,” he said.

“People are intimidated by the notion of taking on a corporate giant like that. But, if we unite we can send a message to politicians that we want health to be their number one priority ... that we need a fresh approach.”

Ref: Posted Fri Jan 2, 2009 12:00pm AEDT

Health service says no plans to downgrade Batemans Bay hospital

The New South Wales south-east health provider has denied that it is working on a plan to downgrade the Batemans Bay hospital.Yesterday, the Member for Bega, Andrew Constance, said he had obtained leaked information revealing that acute bed numbers at the hospital were being cut from 36 to 32.Mr Constance warned that this would reduce funding, allowing the Government to scale back front line services to a point where the hospital would face closure.A Greater Southern Area Health Service spokeswoman says the hospital is funded on activity and staffing levels, not on bed numbers.The spokeswoman says additional beds are being kept for day surgery and for use in training with the Australian National University's rural medical school.

MORUYA

Ref: Posted Thu Apr 9, 2009 12:00pm AEST

'Full maternity services available' at Moruya Hospital

The Greater Southern Area Health Service (GSAHS) says full maternity services are available at a New South Wales far south coast hospital where a baby reportedly died during childbirth at the weekend.A local newspaper has reported the baby girl's grandmother as criticising the Moruya Hospital for having no obstetrician available to help her daughter give birth after a lengthy labour.Area health's eastern sector general manager, Ken Barnett, says an investigation has begun and the GSAHS will respond directly to the family.He says full maternity services are available at Moruya Hospital and a GP, obstetrician or a specialist obstetrician is on-call 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week.

COOMA

Ref: 11.46am - Saturday 08 January 2010 - Coma Express - Sonia Byrnes

Health services unhealthy report

The latest Auditor General’s report has identified staff numbers for Greater Southern Area Health Service (GSAHS) fell by 500 full time equivalent positions in the last financial year.

The same report identified that the total trade creditors decreased from $28.2 million to $22.9 million.

Shadow Minister for Health Jillian Skinner said The Auditor General’s report confirmed Labor was failing to deliver for patients and medical staff across GSAHS.

Emergency triage performance worsened in categories two (imminently life threatening) and three (potentially life threatening) and emergency admissions performance decreased from 87 per cent in 2007/2008 to 81 per cent in 2008/2009.

“In all my time in the Health portfolio, I’ve never seen such a long litany of complaints from the Auditor General - it is unprecedented,” Mrs Skinner said.

Ref: Posted Tue Nov 10, 2009 4.31pm

Cooma rally opposes mooted health cuts

Monaro residents in the State's south-east have come out in force to protest against possible staff cuts at Cooma Hospital.A public rally was held at the town on Saturday to pressure the Greater Southern Area Health Service into maintaining nursing levels.Nurses say five nursing positions will be axed, even though this is denied by the health service.Cooma GP, Doctor Andrew Egan, spoke at the rally and says hospital staff and the community are upset."It was quite a vocal rally," he said."There was a large number of people from the staff at the hospital there trying to make the community aware that we feel that their services in Cooma that they have come to know and trust are about to be compromised."

Ref: Posted Fri Oct 16, 2009 12:07pm AEDT

More claims of Cooma Hospital staff cuts

There are more claims of nursing cuts at the Cooma Hospital in the State's South East.Ward nurses say staff that have left are not being replaced making rosters unworkable.They say staff numbers have been reduced to a point where many patients will have to be moved to the ACT for treatment.But the Member for Monaro, Steve Whan, says the claims are ridiculous."No patients that could be looked after at Cooma will be transferred to the ACT," he said."There have been no staffing cuts at the Cooma hospital - none at all."The staffing levels are always obviously reviewed and rosters are reviewed all the time to make sure that they are appropriate for the level of work that's there.

BEGA


Ref: 3.44pm Tuesday 10 August 2010 - BDN

Bega Valley mental health unit open day on Thursday

Mental health patients in the Bega Valley will soon be able to access inpatient hospital care close to home with the completion of the new $2.2 million interim mental health unit at Bega Hospital.
Minister Assisting on Health (Mental Health) Barbara Perry said the new unit, which includes six acute mental health beds including two high dependency unit beds, will be ready for admissions from next week.
Ms Perry said members of the community are invited to an open day and barbecue at the unit on Thursday, August 12 from 11am to 1pm.

Ref: 5.24pm Monday 14 June 2010 - NSW Health

Bega Hospital Emergency Department to get $340,000 upgrade

A $340,000 upgrade of the Bega Hospital Emergency Department to assist patient flow, improve patient privacy and recognise patient assessment needs will get underway next week.

The minor works include the construction of a triage room, improvement to one of the patient bays and a room where mental health patients can be assessed safely.

Greater Southern Area Health Service (GSAHS) Acting General Manager Eastern Sector, Karen Lenihan, said the successful tenderer for the project is a local firm.

Ref: 11/09/2009 9:42:00 AM

Hygiene and infection control audit underway at Bega Hospital

As a result of our front page story last week on Melissa Seymour’s birthing experiences at Bega Hospital, the Greater Southern Area Health Service (GSAHS) is undertaking an “...audit to confirm that all our hygiene and infection control measures are in place,” GSAHS chief executive Heather Gray has said. Ms Gray made the comment in a media statement.

JINDABYNE

Ref: 2.23pm Tuesday 6 July 2010 – ABC News

Hopes rise for Jindabyne super clinic

The Shire Council in the New South Wales Snowy Mountains is waiting on the outcome of its application to have a GP Super Clinic built at Jindabyne.

The Snowy River Shire has been working on the multi-million dollar health facility project for five years, and the Department of Health and Ageing is now considering the submission.

The Council says the Shire's population is forecast to top 10,000 by 2026 and the population triples in the winter months, but patients have to be transported to Cooma or Canberra.

The Council's General Manager, Joe Vescio, says extended operating hours is one benefit of the facility.

"It would result, we believe, in extended hours of operation for GPs," he said.

"A lot of people would have to go to Cooma Hospital for matters that could be dealt with by a GP if it was open longer.

"And that's one of the outcomes we're looking for."

Ref: Posted October 28, 2008 09:37:00 - Updated October 28, 2008 12:11:00

No plans to build a multi-purpose health facility at Jindabyne.

The doctor at the centre of a row in the New South Wales high country says she withdrew from talks with the Greater Southern Area HealthService because its plans were not in the best interest of the community.
Talks with the Government's health provider broke down last week when the Health One committee was told that there were no plans to build a multi-purpose health facility at Jindabyne.
This resulted in members of the committee walking out, including Dr Cath Newman.
The health service says it is not willing to re-pen discussions until she rejoins the committee.
But Dr Newman says Greater Southern has not kept its word.
"Basically we applied for something then over the course that Health One has taken there has been an increasing frustration as the goal posts have moved," she said.
"Clearly where the submission or ... the application or the recommendation has ended up are certainly things that I have been unable to support because none of them actually address the Jindabyne health issues in a way that I believe is positive."

BOMBALA

Ref: 10/06/2009 10:25:00 AM

Local health issues discussed

The Bombala Health Service Committee and the Delegate MPS Committee held a combined meeting on Thursday, April 23 to discuss local issues.Ruth Allan began by asking for a moment’s silence to remember Jill Knight who was Bombala’s Radiographer for over 30 years and also a member of the Bombala Hospital Redevelopment Committee and later the Bombala Health Service Committee.On behalf of the Delegate Committee Jan Ingram reported the arrival of the Day Service Unit, which will provide a venue for the doctor’s consulting rooms.This has been furnished by donations from Glenda Jennison and Dr Simonson. Dr Simonson now flies into Delegate two days per week.The building will also be used by allied health services and as an activity room for the MPS residents.

DELEGATE


Ref: Posted February 17, 2009 12:09:00 - Updated February 17, 2009 12:08:00

No doctor for 18 months

The residents of a small south-east New South Wales border town are campaigning against the proposed sale of an empty doctor's residence.
The progress association in Delegate says the town has been without a doctor for the past 18 months.
Locals are calling on the Bombala Shire Council to keep the surgery in operation and attract a full-time doctor to the town.
The progress association's vice-president, Natalie Armstrong, says most people want the house to stay.
"When we heard rumours that there was consideration for selling the house, we sent out a survey because people had approached us and said they'd heard it and they were a bit upset," she said.
"So we got a big response to the survey and I think there was just one person [who] said sell the house. Everybody else said no. If people feel strongly about it, we felt then, when we got the survey back, that we had to follow it through and try and do something about it."Ref: 03/08/2009 - The Delegate Progress Association will be launching its campaign at a public meeting tonight at the Delegate School of Arts.

Delegate needs a doctor - applications invited

The Delegate community, 25 minutes south of Bombala on the Southern Monaro came together on Saturday night. (Aug 1)
The event was a trivia night at the town's country club, the money raised going towards the renovation of the old doctors house next to the Delegate police station.
Delegate is home to around 450 people, but the wider Delegate community stretches over the border into Victoria to places like Bendoc.
The region has been without a GP for 2 years, but has mobilised to try and turn that around.
The plan is to renovate the old doctors house and use it as an incentive to attract a new doctor to the town.
I was in Delegate on Saturday for the trivia night and meet Penelope Judge from the Progress Association at the old house. She told me that without a doctor, the last 2 years seen locals do alot of traveling.

BRAIDWOOD

Ref: Braidwood Times, 5/08/2009 11:06:00 AM.

Braidwood Health Advisory Committee Report

The committee welcomed new members Warren Barr and Joan Webb (BMPS staff representative). Jo Wilson has volunteered to take on the role of committee secretary. Continuing committee members are Geoff Bunn, Tony Cairns, Peter Camiller, Margaret Jones, Mary Matthias and Kristen Sturgiss.The Braidwood MPS Consultative Committee discussed at length the outrage that had been expressed to them by community members at the proposal by Greater Southern Area Health Service to reduce staffing levels and alter the staffing mix at Braidwood MPS. Community members had indicated to consultative committee members that they were concerned that the already limited numbers of staff at BMPS would not be able to deliver the same level of client care and services as was currently available; that reductions in provision of community services would add an even greater strain on the hospital and staff and that reduction in the skill level of on-duty staff would place patients lives at risk.The consultative committee passed a unanimous motion that 'we totally reject any reductions in our staffing levels and skill mix'.Following on from this motion a decision was made to write to Greater Southern Area Health Service advising them of the committees decision and reasons for this and to contact our local Members of Parliament regarding the proposal.

TUMBARUMBA

Ref: ABC News - Posted Wed Jun 27, 2007 11:26am AEST

Tumbarumba to host mental health course

A mental health first aid course will be held this weekend in Tumbarumba, in southern New South Wales, to help members of the community identify the early signs of depression.The course is aimed at farm men and women and people who work with farmers.Participants are taught to recognise the common signs and symptoms of mental health problems like depression and anxiety and what to do if they are worried about someone.The course will be held at the Tumbarumba council chambers from 9:00am AEST until 5:00pm on Friday and Saturday.A mental health promotion coordinator with the Greater Southern Area Health Service, Brad Moore, says early intervention was important."What we've traditionally found is that in rural areas many rural people, farmers and people in rural towns don't tend to access the mental health services, they don't access GPs as well, so these courses are designed to equip people with the skills out there that are already engaging with farmers who may be in a better position to be able to refer people to appropriate support," he said.
GUNDAGAI

Ref: Daily Advertiser, Rebekah Holliday, 25/02/2009 10:54:00am

Tempers flare over doctor shortage

A war of words has erupted between Gundagai’s Paul Mara and Jill Ludford from the Greater Southern Area Health Service over the weekend doctor shortage at Gundagai Hospital.
No doctor was on-call at the hospital from Sunday until Monday morning and five patients had to be transferred to Tumut Hospital for treatment.
Ms Ludford, the GSAHS central sector manager, says the Area Health Service and Dr Mara have a “shared responsibility” for making sure Gundagai Hospital, owned by GSAHS, is staffed by a locum when Dr Mara is not available.
That is “nonsense”, according to Dr Mara, who has worked Christmas Day for 25 out of the 26 years he has been in Gundagai.
“Whose hospital is it? That’s nonsense,” said Dr Mara, a doctor who runs a private practice.
“It’s actually the responsibility of the GP but we might have to agree to disagree with Dr Mara,” Ms Ludford said.
“We assist them (GPs) to provide locums and support them with finding them.”
The issue of doctor services at Gundagai came to a head last Thursday.
Ms Ludford agreed that Dr Mara had given six weeks’ notice of his planned absence from Gundagai last weekend.
Dr Mara said yesterday he was informed that a locum would cover his absence at the hospital but received a phone call to the contrary on Thursday morning from the Gundagai Hospital manager.
“I was told the locum wasn’t coming. I asked why not and they said it had not been approved. I said if they didn’t have a doctor there, at Gundagai on the weekend, they would have my resignation on Monday,” Dr Mara said.
Consequently, a locum was engaged to work from Friday night until Sunday morning.
Ms Ludford said she did not know the details of the telephone call to Dr Mara last Thursday morning from the Gundagai Hospital and could not comment.
“The important thing is that there was a locum for most of the time,” she said.

WAGGA WAGGA

Ref: 9 August, 2010 11:40AM AEST - ABC News - Anne Delaney

Rally attracts thousands

For around three decades a complete rebuild of the Wagga Wagga Base Hospital has been on the cards. There have been years and years of promises that the redevelopment would happen in full and the community has been growing more and more frustrated at the wait.

Just prior to the 2007 March state election around two-thousand people rallied in Wagga's main street seeking swift action on the project, but three and a half years on the mood was very different.

This time there was anger at what the community sees as a broken promise after the state government recently announced only $90-million of the promised $300-million would be available, and the full redevelopment would be an upgrade instead.

Civic leaders addressed the Sunday afternoon crowd - made up of people from all across the Riverina - with doctors and nurses telling stories of how the current hospital is failing and dangerous. Despite being largely a state issue, the crowd called for federal intervention.

ABC Riverina has asked for a response from the NSW Health Minister Carmel Tebbutt.

Ref: 3.38pm Wednesday 04 August 2010  - Daily Advertiser – Laura Davies

The rally cry

Nothing less than a new Wagga Base Hospital will be enough to satisfy Wagga mayor Kerry Pascoe, and he is calling on the community to support his cause.

Councillor Pascoe is calling on residents from all parts of the Riverina to join a rally on Sunday, August 8, in Wagga's main street.

The state government has allocated $90 million to start redeveloping the hospital, but beyond that the current state government has not committed additional funds.

Ref: 4.59pm Friday 23 July 2010 - Daily Advertiser - Ben Glover

Labor says it won't fund base

NSW Health Minister Carmel Tebbutt has put to bed once and for all any prospect of a new hospital in Wagga under the current Labor government.

In an interview with The Daily Advertiser on Wednesday, Ms Tebbutt reasoned that health funds needed to be distributed fairly across the state, which meant that $90 million over four years was the best they could do.

It's a huge blow to the people of the Riverina but to Ms Tebbutt's credit, at least a politician has finally come clean on where we stand.

Editor: Well if it didn't get spent in Wagga, and it didn't get spent in Bega, where did it get spent that enabled Minister Tebbutt to say it was "distributed fairly across the state"?

Ref: 6.26pm Saturday 17 July 2010 - Daily Advertiser – Daisy Huntly

Visiting health minister remains silent on saga

NSW Health Minister Carmel Tebbutt and visiting Minister for Disability, Ageing and Youth, Peter Primrose remained tight-lipped on the Wagga Base Hospital issue yesterday.

Ms Tebbutt was unavailable for interview yesterday, but confirmed she will speak with The Daily Advertiser in the coming week.

Despite representing many members of the public who would benefit from a new health facility, Mr Primrose's staff informed The Daily Advertiser he would not comment on the matter, saying it was a Department of Health issue.

Greater Southern Area Health Service (GSAHS) chief executive officer Dr Maggie Jamieson was available for interview, but failed to shed much further light on the situation.

Editor: The reason Carmel Tebbutt and Maggie Jamieson both remained silent on this matter is that they haven't got the faintest idea what is going on and are waiting for their minders to tell them what to say.

Ref: 3.49pm Wednesday 15 July 2010 - ABC News

Union blasts Minister over hospital plan downgrade

A Riverina union official says the New South Wales Health Minister must come clean on plans for Wagga Base Hospital's redevelopment.

A $300 million upgrade that has been in the planning for years was reduced to a $90 million upgrade in the June budget.

Wagga Base is a trauma centre for the Greater Southern Area Health Service.

Ref: 5.19pm Friday 25 June 2010 - ABC

Hospital staff vote against upgrade plan

Dozens of medical staff have voted unanimously against a $90 million upgrade of Wagga Wagga Base Hospital.

New South Wales Health Minister Carmel Tebbutt is not commenting on reports that plans for the hospital's $300 million rebuild have been reduced to a $90 million upgrade of some parts of the facility.

There is anger and disappointment across the Riverina that the rebuild of the region's major referral hospital may not happen.

Ref: 2.34pm Thursday 24 June 2010 - Daily Advertiser - Ben Glover

Riverina betrayed on Base Hospital

Despair has been the most common reaction to news that the NSW government has shelved plans for a full-scale redevelopment of Wagga Base Hospital in favour of a patch-up job but Dr Geoff Pritchard believes the doom and gloom could have a silver lining.

Retired Tumut surgeon Dr Pritchard holds the view that plans for a full redevelopment of the hospital on its current location was short of the mark anyway.

He sees the latest government backflip as a chance to campaign for a new hospital on a greenfields site.

“Looking to the future, Wagga’s going to be a huge focus for health services across the region,” Dr Pritchard said.

Ref: 5.25pm Wednesday 26 May 1020 - The Daily Advertiser - Daisy Huntly

Wagga Base on the end of the wait list

Wagga Base Hospital has made the top 10 for surgical waiting times of NSW hospitals -but not at the right end.

Figures within the most recent report on current waiting times and waiting times register by specialty for booked patients in NSW hospitals, released this month, shows Wagga had the third-highest number of patients waiting more than 12 months, fourth highest number of patients on the register, and had the seventh longest average waiting time.

Wagga Base had 2281 patients on the waiting list for surgery, with an average wait of 5.21 months, and 149 of those patients have been waiting for more than 12 months for their surgery.

Ref: 3.30pm Friday 16 April 2010 – ABC News

Fears health shake-up may slow hospital revamp

A Riverina doctor says the Federal Government's health plans could further delay a long overdue rebuild of Wagga Wagga Base Hospital.

Dr Richard Harrison has told ABC Radio National Breakfast, the project has been in the planning for 20 years.

Wagga Mayor Kerry Pascoe recently raised similar concerns and called on the Prime Minister to release his plans for infrastructure spending.

Dr Harrison says he met Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on his recent visit to Wagga Base, but fears the PM's plans will delay, not fast-track, the $350 million project.

"We are getting worried. The detail's just not there at the moment," he said.

"This particular rebuild of this hospital was to be guaranteed this period of this Government and that was independent of sales of power stations and all the rest. Now unfortunately with this new plan, without detail of capital spending, that plan will be derailed for another few years.

"We've had five successive health ministers in New South Wales in six years.

"I met Carmel Tebbutt, the present Health Minister, at the end of last year and we got a pledge from her than early in 2010 a funding model would become available - either through treasury or through a private-public partnership."

"We've already been informed now that no decision can be made on that because of this new federal plan."

Ref: 8.30am Thursday 08 April 2010 – ABC News

Mayor fears health shake-up to delay hospital

The Mayor of Wagga Wagga says Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's health plan will not deliver a new hospital for Wagga for at least four years, if at all.

Ref: 10.28pm Tuesday 23 February 2010 - Daily Advertiser - Laura Davies - 23 Feb, 2010 10:02 AM

No room at Wagga Base Hospital

A Uranquinty man faced such a long wait in Wagga Base Hospital's emergency department at the weekend that his family took him home and called an ambulance instead.

Greater Southern Area Health Service would not provide anyone for interview yesterday, but released a statement attributed to central sector general manager Jill Ludford.

"We are concerned about the delay Mr Brown experienced when trying to access a bed and regret any distress caused."

The statement said all the emergency department beds were full at the time.

Mrs Brown challenged the NSW Health Minister, Carmel Tebbutt, to visit Wagga Base Hospital.

"If she's got the guts, come to the hospital, I challenge her to come to the hospital," Mrs Brown said. "It was just such a let-down."

Ref: 4.05pm Wednesday 16 December 2009 - ABC News

Festive season halts elective surgery

Elective surgery will cease at Griffith Base Hospital from this weekend until February. In Wagga Wagga, the elective surgery slowdown takes effect from Christmas Day and will run until January 10.

Ref. 2.39pm Friday 4 December 2009 - ABC News

Family hopes for surgery death answers

The family of a woman who died during surgery in Wagga Wagga Base Hospital hopes investigations into the death will provide answers.

Heidi Clarke Lewis, 29, was admitted to the hospital, in southern New South Wales, on the night of April 30 this year with a suspected ectopic pregnancy, but died.

Ref. 3.04pm Wednesday 18 November 2009 - ABC News

Govt urged to act on Wagga hospital rebuild

The New South Wales Opposition Leader has used a Riverina visit to criticise the State Government's handling of plans to rebuild Wagga Wagga Base Hospital.

Barry O'Farrell is in Wagga Wagga and attended a community afternoon tea and a dinner with business people and community members yesterday.

He will also attend a business breakfast this morning.

Mr O'Farrell says it will be criminal if the Wagga Base Hospital rebuild does not start before the next election in 2011.

"Three days after they announced another billion dollar rail project in Sydney, it's time the Government understood that health services provided by Wagga Wagga base hospital aren't just critical to this city," he said.

"It's critical to the region and you can't continue to put them off because all that deferring these decisions does is add to the cost."

Editor: Building the new Bega Hospital should also begin before the next election in 2011.

Ref: 3.34pm Wednesday 11 November 2009 - ABC News

Minister hears hospital redevelopment concerns

The New South Wales Health Minister, Carmel Tebbutt, has heard first hand concerns about the delayed redevelopment of Wagga Wagga Base Hospital.

The chairman of the hospital's Medical Staff Council, Richard Harrison, and the Member for Wagga Wagga, Daryl Maguire, had their first meeting with the new minister in Sydney yesterday afternoon.

Dr Harrison says it was valuable, but there is still no money for the $300 million project and no time frame on a funding model.

"We had 40 minutes with Ms Tebbutt and it went very well," he said.

"She listened to us carefully. We were keen to put forward once again to a new minister the compelling issues with regards to the Wagga Base Hospital redevelopment. She listened well and heard us out.

Dr Harrison says he also met parliamentary secretary Andrew McDonald, and is "comfortable" the hospital development is on their radar screens.

"Unfortunately they're not in a position to be able to guarantee funding yet. And we'd be naive to believe we were going to get a solid commitment to starting dates," he said.

"But we got a good listening, a commitment that she'd look at the funding models and get back to us within a reasonable time frame."

Ref: 11.00am Monday 09 November 2009 - ABC News

Hospital suicide: No room in mental health unit

An inquest into the suicide of a patient has heard there was no room for him in the mental health unit of a south-west New South Wales hospital.

Former Win TV cameraman Justin Berkhour was found hanging behind the curtain of a cubicle in the Wagga Wagga Base Hospital emergency department in July 2007.

The 29-year-old from Junee was taken off life support six days later.

As the inquest opened today, coroner Paul McMahon heard Mr Berkhour was admitted after overdosing on tablets.

There was no bed in the mental health unit, so he stayed in the casualty ward. Mr Berkhour was found dying the next day.

Ref:10.0am Saturday 07 November 2009 - ABC News

Coroner calls for mental health funding boost

A coronial inquest into a man's hanging at a hospital in southern New South Wales has recommended that the state government substantially increase funding for mental health beds.

GRIFFITH

Ref: 11.29am Saturday 09 January 2010 - ABC News

Health service struggles to cover hospital costs

The New South Wales Greater Southern Area Health Service says it is increasingly stretched to meet the costs of operating Griffith Base Hospital.

A rally is planned later this month to protest against the loss of frontline jobs at the hospital.

The western sector manager, Ken Hampson, says the Department of Health allocates funding for Griffith Base under a formula applied to like-organisations.

He says steps are being taken to save money but it is difficult.

"We in Greater Southern recognise that we can't operate a base hospital without having specialist staff so unfortunately we do have those costs, but fortunately we've actually got some really great medical and nursing staff that actually fly in to help," he said.

"We're lucky that we've got good medical services provided but a lot of them are from specialists who fly in and fly out.

"And with that is there is a huge cost to the organisation in getting people on locum rates of pay which are higher than what we pay normally, accommodation, airfares."