Promises of buckets of money are being thrown around the electorate…must be an election coming on.
Labor, with local medico Dr David Keegan as candidate, are promising $140 million dollar commitment for Manning Hospital announcing that it will match the Nationals health commitments increasing investment from $60 million to $100 million matching the current commitment of $140 million from the Nationals with $20 milion being spent to build the car park already, and the next $20 million due to be delivered over the course of the mid year budget. Labor has also committed to deliver their commitment within the first six months of forming Government.
The upgrade to put Manning Hospital on the path towards obtaining trauma status as a medical facility includes:
An upgraded emergency department
Additional operating suites for: o General surgery
Ear, nose and throat surgery
Endoscopy procedures
New and upgraded medical equipment
A Cardiac catheterization Laboratory
Integrated mental health and drug treatment
Transition lounge for discharged and other patients.
Increase staffing levels to see more than 50 new heath jobs separate to the above.
The pressure on Manning Hospital has forced many patients to travel to other hospitals, such as Port Macquarie Hospital and John Hunter Hospital.
Labor has also announced that we will build a Public Hospital in Forster/Tuncurry with the first stages
being the construction of an emergency department, Pathology and acute care beds.
This will involve planning funding and consultation within the first six months of Government followed by the site acquisition and construction etc.
Following Labor’s promises of the money in the neighbourhood of 100 million dollars, allegedly Mr Bromhead, the sitting National State Member, hurriedly rang the hospital asking what they wanted and suddenly the Nationals upped the ante by forty million.
Funny about that.
However there’s a contradiction in Stephen Bromhead’s Press Release and Hunter New England Healths’ response:
Bromhead… “Since elected to Government I have overseen a 25% increase in recurrent funding to Manning Hospital and over 30 new staff have joined the Hospital team, this year we have made new
medical appointments including 2 Intensive care specialists, 2nd Oncologist, Rehabilitation specialist, Psychiatrist and a new Director of Emergency.”
Response from HNEAHB: “The recruitment process of Senior Medical Officers at Manning or any other public hospital is purely run at an organisational level (LMNCS as part of HNELHD) without any influences from external factors. This is the basic recruitment principle in a public health system.”
BROMHEAD – “Over the last 12 months NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Deputy Premier John Barilaro and Health Minister Brad Hazzard have all visited the Hospital and as the Premier indicated during her visit on 1st June Stage 2 planning is underway and I am continuing my discussions to lock in funding for these works.”
HNEH “No one is aware of, and as a sector, no one
has received any communication as to what stage 2 is or what it encompasses.”
The hospital’s action group, led by Alan Tickle, has identified the hospitals drastic needs. It appears their wish list is now similar to what Labor is offering, ideally they’d like –
Relocation MRI from private location to connect with emergency and imaging
Housing a Cardiac Catherisation Lab Short stay unit
Theatre expansion Rehabilitation unit
Refurbishment as needed as set out in re- development plan
Increased bed space provisioning
In general – implementation of the 2012 Master Plan such as Pharmacy and Mental Health Unit expansion.
That’s a long list, but it seems the life-saving Cath Lab is a huge priority for the Manning Hospital and everyone living in the electorate. The major stumbling block for improvements at MBH and the
patients of Manning Valley has always been the CEO of HNE, Michael DiRienzo and his advisory group.
The current Health Minister, Brad Hazzard has not been supportive either.