- Home
- Hansard & Papers
- Legislative Assembly
- 28 June 2007
Murwillumbah District Hospital
Printing Tips |
Print selected text
| Full Day Hansard Transcript
« Prior Item |
Item 46 of 59
| Next Item »
About this Item
Speakers - George Mr Thomas
Business - Private Members Statements
|
Page: 2170
Mr THOMAS GEORGE (Lismore) [5.17 p.m.]: This week we heard a lot from members about what this Government is doing for health services in Newcastle, Sydney and Wollongong. On Monday and Tuesday this week we also heard rumours about cutbacks at Murwillumbah hospital. Those cutbacks have been denied. I place on record the concern of the community. The community has grave concerns about the future of Murwillumbah hospital. I have been informed that next week a public meeting will be held so that members of the community can express their disgust about what is happening. Yesterday I received an email that I would like to read onto the record. The email was sent to the Premier, to the Minister for Health, to me as the member representing Murwillumbah, and the North Coast Area Health Service Chief Executive Officer, Chris Crawford. The email reads as follows:
It was with some concern that rumours swept the area today regarding the closure of the Children's Ward at Murwillumbah District Hospital. Confirmation was received on the Prime Local News bulletin at 6pm but only confirmed by NCAHS CEO Chris Crawford as a "review" of services.
That statement has been made by Chris Crawford on a number of occasions. The email continues:
I and many other local residents are fully aware that "reviews" are a good way of testing the water for permanent downgrading of facilities.
Perhaps the Premier and Minister need to be reminded of the enormous input of ordinary local people into fundraising for our hospital over many years. Maybe they need to be reminded of the fantastic community involvement in providing upgrades to buildings, plant and equipment. For example, in recent years the Children's Ward was completely rebuilt with funds raised by the local community; only 12 months ago a close knit group of family friends helped my daughter, Sarah, who had entered the Banana Festival and Harvest Week Queen Quest, raise $13,000.00 for the Urliup Rehabilitation and Assessment Unit and more recently the community raised $14,000.00 for the highly popular Charity Review Concerts ...
I had the pleasure of attending that concert. The email continues:
Over the next few days and weeks I'm sure claim, counter claim together with denial and counter denial will ebb and flow like the relentless tide. But one thing is sure. Many locals will protest very loudly if cutbacks to any services in Murwillumbah go ahead. I will encourage anyone to join the bandwagon, which won't be too difficult a task!
So my message to NCAHS CE Chris Crawford and other local bureaucrats is to think very carefully before taking a final decision to reduce services. The public outcry and protests have only just started. Hold on to your seats, there will be lots more to come. Locals won't take cutbacks to their health services without a fight!
I have been attending Parliament for the past three days but my telephone has not stopped ringing. People have contacted my office about the threatened cutbacks. It has already been suggested that three key executive positions, or part thereof, will be transferred to Tweed Heads. That is typical of the cutbacks that have been experienced throughout the North Coast Area Health Service. Services in children's wards in Casino and Kyogle have been cut and relocated to Lismore. The hospitals serve the towns in which they are located but people also travel for an hour or an hour and a half to receive treatment—and the Government is shifting services even further away to the coast. It is just not on.
People in country and regional areas are fed up with these cutbacks. Small country towns are losing services and jobs for the sake of centralisation at major hospitals. The chief executive officer said on Prime television the other night that the children's ward at Murwillumbah will not be closed, but that is totally different from what I have been told. There are six applicants for the vacant specialist obstetrician position at Murwillumbah District Hospital but they are not going to be interviewed pending a "review" of obstetric services at the hospital. The position had been vacant long before I came to represent Murwillumbah, yet nothing is said about it. I understand that those six applicants will not even be interviewed because obstetric services are under review. Murwillumbah District Hospital does a fantastic job, supported by community fundraising. The population of Murwillumbah is about 12,000 but the hospital services 30,000 people. I call on the Minister for Health to cancel the review of those services.
Last modified 05/12/2007 16:47:10 : Update this page