Balmain Hospital Casualty Changes
CAMPAIGN TO RESTORE 24HR CASUALTY SERVICES AT BALMAIN HOSPITAL |  |
Community Update - December 2009
The Leichhardt community has united together to oppose the cuts to Balmain Hospital Casualty Services that has seen the 24 hour casualty service wound back to 8am to 10pm .
Council representatives, key local organisations and residents were called into a meeting with the Sydney South West Area Health Service (SSWAHS) on Monday 27 April 2009 to discuss supposed enhancements to the services at Balmain Hospital. SSWAHS proceeded to tell those present that they were 'expanding' the service and that the service would be open 7 days, 8am to 10pm. Going from a 24 hour service to a 8am to 10pm service doesn’t sound like an expansion of services!
Since then, Leichhardt Council has sought a meeting with the NSW Minister for Health; to discuss these changes but have not received a response. Council has also sought support from the Member for Balmain, Verity Firth MP for this important campaign.
Council has held two public meeting including a public meeting that was held in front of Balmain Hospital. Over 150 people heard many passionate and expert speakers explain the need to retain the 24 hour casualty service, some telling their story of how the Hospital had been there to provide casualty services and treatment in the middle of the night.
As per the resolution adopted by the public meetings, a Citizens Committee has been established to guide the community campaign to restore the 24 hour casualty service. This Committee met on Friday 23 October to discuss the campaign and to develop strategies to overturn the decision. Council and the Committee are now in the process of reviewing current and future local health needs and encouraging the Member for Balmain and Minister for Health to overturn this decision as soon as possible.
If you would like to participate in the Citizens Committee or have any queries regarding the campaign, please contact Council's Media & Public Affairs Officer on (02) 9367 9351.
Cr Jamie Parker
Mayor of Leichhardt
And this was the earlier Mayoral Minute which galvanised the Leichhardt community to action!
HOURS OF BALMAIN HOSPITAL CASUALTY DEPARTMENT
Balmain Hospital is a crucial part of the Leichhardt municipality and provides excellent care and support for residents. The full hospital service was downgraded in the 1990's and the service was 'replaced' with a 24 hour casualty service in order to blunt the concern of local residents.
Residents may have seen the report in the local newspaper about the rumour that the Balmain hospital 24 hour service was closing. Over the years we have heard this rumour and it has been refuted by Ministers and the Dept of Health and was refuted most recently by the former Premier.
Late last week I received an email requesting I attend Balmain Hospital for a meeting at 10am Monday morning. I agreed to attend but was not told of the purpose of the meeting despite asking. When I attended there were several local representatives from the Chamber of Commerce, Cr John Stamolis, Balmain
Association, and Precincts amongst others. There was also a representative from the local GP network as well as staff from the Department of Heath, Balmain hospital and RPA. They proceeded to tell us that they were 'expanding' the service and the service would now be open 7 days 8am to 10pm. In fact they are
cutting the service.
The Area Health Service is proposing to use the money from the cut service to provide more of an existing service. All of the posters and brochures had already been made up none of which actually indicate the service would be cut We were told letters were being sent that day to all local residents. No discussion - no respect for the community or Council.
This was particularly cynical as the local member has said in the local paper that if there was to be any changes there would be consultation before any announcements. Well guess what the announcement was made at 11am one hour after our 'consultation meeting'.
It is clear that even when this statement was being made to the local papers the decision had already been made. It takes several weeks to design and print posters and to process a full mailing to thousands of people. As our meeting went 'overtime' we left around 11am and ran into the local papers who were there for the announcement.
So in a very cynical manner the community was indeed consulted before the announcement
C124/09
RESOLVED PARKER/STAMOLIS
Council writes to the Health Minister and Premier expressing our deep concern with the decision to reduce the opening hours of the Hospital and express our disappointment with the process.
- That a meeting be sought with the Minister for Health with the Mayor and interested Councillors.
- That Council also write to the Local Member seeking her support.
- That Council convene a public meeting to discuss this matter and that the Local Member be invited.
Socrates can't help but notice the involvement of the Leichhardt Division of General Practice in supporting the decision of SSWAHS to downgrade the Emergency Department Services at Balmain Hospital. You can imagine that the local Division of General Practice would plan to take over the responsibility for providing emergency treatment to the patients who would typically attend their Hospital's Emergency Department. But the question must be put: "Does every general practitioner have the requisite clinical skills to deal with the more complex medical emergencies seen at Hospital Emergency Departments?"
Old Socrates can't help but notice the similarities between what has happened at Balmain Hospital with the collusion of their Division of General Practice, and what is, likely to happen at Bowral Hospital with the current state of collusion between SSWAHS and the Southern Highlands Division of General Practice.
