Residents campaigning to save the 100 year old Gulgong Hospital from closing have been informed that it could be some time before it is known whether the Federal Government will support plans for a multi-purpose health service (MPS).
NSW Health Minister Carmel Tebbutt reassured of her promise to secure Commonwealth funding for a MPS, but is refusing to delay the closure of the town's hospital next Friday. The Greater Western Area Health Service (GWAHS) proposed to close the Gulgong Hospital, after a WorkCover report found numerous problems with the building, including asbestos.
There is a genuine worry among the residents about access to local emergency medical care. Gulgong residents will have to travel 25 minutes away to Mudgee for hospital and emergency treatment and that few minutes can mean the difference between life and death feel residents.
Chairman of the Gulgong Health Council, Peter Doran said the wait may continue until after the Federal election before a meeting is set up with the Commonwealth. “It's not what we wanted but it's certainly better than we had…We will have a facility that we can take people to, [and] they can be stabilised before they're transferred, so that's better than what we had before…The way forward now is to keep the pressure on the State Government to get our MPS…They won't be able to do that until after next weekend when they find out who is actually in power in Canberra,” he said.
Ms Tebbutt has also promised to fast-track the construction of the “Health One” facility, but Mr Doran says it is not yet known how long it will take to build it. Ms Tebbutt said, “No, not at this stage. The Health One they're looking at speeding up, it won't happen before the end of this year but hopefully they will be trying to push us as fast as they can.”
NSW opposition health spokeswoman Jillian Skinner said closing the hospital was short-sighted while the proposed replacement, a HealthOne Service, was inadequate. HealthOne Services integrate primary and community care, but do not provide acute or emergency care, or any in-patient beds. “This is an obvious case where the state government should have put together a decent submission asking for funding to convert the Gulgong Hospital into a multi-purpose service so that patients' needs can be met,” she said.
A delegation from Gulgong is meeting with government advisers in a last ditch bid to overturn a decision to close their hospital in NSW's central west.
NSW opposition health spokeswoman Jillian Skinner said closing the hospital was short-sighted while the proposed replacement, a HealthOne Service, was inadequate.
HealthOne Services integrate primary and community care, but do not provide acute or emergency care, or any in-patient beds.
"This is an obvious case where the state government should have put together a decent submission asking for funding to convert the Gulgong Hospital into a multi-purpose service so that patients' needs can be met," she told Fairfax Radio Network.
Comment is being sought from Ms Tebbutt and GWAHS.
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