Healthy update on new hospital development
The Southern NSW Local Health District held a Eurobodalla Planning Update meeting at the Moruya Gold Club last night.
About 45 people attended the meeting to hear from CEO Margaret Bennett, Dr Michael Holland, Member for Bega, Brad Scotcher SNSWLHD General Manager Coastal Network and Project Manager Matthew Malone from Health Infrastructure.
Questions from the Public had been submitted earlier, however there were also questions from the floor.
Straight up Mrs Bennett was asked if the New Eurobodalla Regional Hospital (NERH) would open as a Level 4 hospital, to which she replies “Absolutely yes.”
“It’s all about the workforce, and I am feeling much more positive than last year” said Mrs Bennett.
Asked about the provision of radiotherapy services she said “The Ministry is linking with us now to develop an Expressions of Interest to test the market for someone to provide radiotherapy.”
“It’s progress that is important. There’s been lots of debate about the cost of radiotherapy and we will find out by doing a market test. The EOI will be out early in the new year.”
Asked at what point is it too late to add the radiotherapy to the build, Mrs Bennett said “It’s never too late. There has been an incredible dramatic increase in health infrastructure cost, so we will wait to see what come out of the EOI.”
Brad Scotcher, SNSWLHD General Manager Coastal Network explained the difference between a ‘Close Observation Unit’ and an ‘Intensive Care Unit’ which would bring the whole hospital up a level.
He outlined some of the successes in the district such as by the Midwifery Group Practice team at Moruya, who had been recognised at the National Rural Health Awards the previous evening.
Dr Holland was questioned about the loss of the Batemans Bay Accident and Emergency and clearly explained what step up to level four would mean for the Eurobodalla.
He said there would be more beds in the new hospital than the current Moruya and Batemans Bay hospital combined.
Dr Holland acknowledged the concerns of the Batemans Bay people attending but said that “lives are being risked by not having a level 4 hospital.”
Dr Holland revealed that they were looking at increasing the house of the Urgent Care Clinic in Batemans Bay. From December it would be 12 hours per day 8am – 8pm. And an expansion is being considered.
It was also pointed out that the plans for the NERH were ‘non partisans plans.’
Dr Holland said that he had been speaking with the Minister for Health in Sydney the previous day about the addition of radiotherapy for the new hospital.
Matthew Malone, Project Manager with Health Infrastructure talked about the build of the new hospital which has a floor space more than twice the size of Moruya and Batemans Bay Hospitals combined.
Other topics discussed were training partnerships with Universities, accommodation for staff, the fate of the older sites and the need for more ambulances.
See the latest images of the build site HERE
https://eurobodallahs.health.nsw.gov.au/getmedia/6ddb7920-b82b-4b3e-a73a-c55a46cea2ed/241105_BB-and-Eurobodalla_A4_Community-Update_V4_WEB.pdf.aspx
