A local win or a $39m disaster? The battle over our health service
A $39 million warning has laid bare the stark financial cost of a proposed split from the Murrumbidgee Local Health District, despite a new report exposing severe midwifery shortages and a lack of local. . .
A $39 million warning has laid bare the stark financial cost of a proposed split from the Murrumbidgee Local Health District, despite a new report exposing severe midwifery shortages and a lack of local orthopaedic care at Griffith Base Hospital. Subscribe now for unlimited access. or signup to continue readingSave 30%All articles from our website& appThe digital version ofToday'sPaperAll otherin your areaThe NSW Parliament's Committee on Community Services report revealed that establishing a new independent administrative arm would drain $26 million annually in recurring expenses and cost a minimum of $13 million to replicate existing services - effectively diverting millions away from front-line medicine. NSW Legislative Assembly Committee chairperson Clayton Barr MP delivered his verdict in the release of the report. Pictures fileThe parliamentary inquiry formally documents concerns raised about regional healthcare services, but NSW Legislative Assembly committee chair Clayton Barr MP has openly opposed the separation. It noted a Griffith City Council survey found 62. 3 per cent of residents and 50 per cent of local health professionals surveyed supported separating the district. The report highlights that theGriffith BaseHospital Medical Staff Council was "unanimously in support of separating Griffith Base Hospital from the district," noting their belief that a separate board would lead to quicker, easier approval processes. "Key findings: issues raisedAccording to the report, the Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) describes Griffith Base Hospital as the 'specialist acute centre' for its western communities. However, the committee heard various concerns about a decline in the scope and level of health and hospital services in Griffith. A number of stakeholders have highlighted that orthopaedic services in Griffith are scarce or lacking. The report noted submissions highlighting that Griffith patients with broken bones are routinely taken to Wagga Wagga, where they sometimes wait days for treatment. The new reception area of the Griffith Base Hospital during the redevelopment. Picture fileOne submission to the committee described their son being placed on a Wagga Wagga waiting listfor several weeks, only to have their appointment cancelled on the day after they had travelled to the hospital. Another submission noted the community is urgently calling for the establishment of a full-time orthopaedic service at the hospital. Griffith community members also expressed concern that the rehabilitation ward at the new Griffith Base Hospital has not opened, arguing that opening it would significantly "free up beds". The committee was told the hospital previously had a 24-hour palliative care service, through which local GPs and oncology nurses visited patients at their homes. It was put to the committee that this has since been replaced by a remote telephone service operating out of Wagga Wagga, with palliative care nurses visiting patients across the entire district. Another community member submitted that patients requiring palliative care "have been displaced or denied appropriate local care due to insufficient staffing levels and a lack of available beds". Key findings: MLHD respondsThe MLHD remarked that a rehabilitation model of care and inpatient services are operating at the hospital, and a business case for additional rehabilitation spaces is in progress. The committee was also told that public orthopaedic services are locally available at St Vincent's Private Community Hospital, basic orthopaedic surgery is being performed at Griffith Base Hospital, and full orthopaedic services will be rolled out in stages. Splitting the district would disadvantage our local communities, and likely exacerbate health workforce challenges, particularly in regional and rural centres. - MLHD chief executive Emma FieldAcknowledging the bill in NSW Parliament, the MLHD provided a statement on the report to thismasthead. MLHD chief executive Emma Field said the district's position remains that splitting the district would disadvantage communities. "A unified district provides significant benefits when providing high-quality health care to local communities, including access to specialised care, and funding efficiencies," Ms Field said. "As outlined in our submission and appearance before the NSW Parliament's Committee on Community Services, splitting the district would disadvantage our local communities, and likely exacerbate health workforce challenges, particularly in regional and rural centres. "Ms Field thanked the committee, local community and professional bodies for their time and contributions to this process. "MLHD will continue to work closely with the community, staff and partner organisations to ensure the most appropriate health services are provided across the local health district," Ms Field said. "We look forward to NSW Parliament's response to the committee's recommendations. "Staff shortages raisedCritical staffing shortages are reportedly limiting or threatening the capacity of health services, the committee was told. The NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association cautioned that as a result of these deficits, the maternity unit at Griffith Hospital is struggling to keep functioning. According to the report, the association stated that the hospital's maternity service is down 14 full-time equivalent midwifery positions and that recent recruitment efforts have been ineffective. Members of the Australian Salaried Medical Officers' Federation NSW supported these claims, reporting to the committee that Griffith Hospital has "significantly worse medical staffing across most disciplines". One Griffith submission added that acute nurse shortages are creating a "chronic lack of beds" at the hospital. "I cannot support separation": committee chairNSW Legislative Assembly Committee Chairperson Clayton Barr MP openly opposed the separation in the report. Picture fileIn his foreword to the report, Mr Barr noted that the inquiry heard "separating the district would see a disconnection between the specialist services". "Some of these. . . specialist services that currently do perform outreach to the regions would most likely cease that travel leaving those isolated regional communities worse off," he said. But Mr Barr noted what held the greatest gravity was the hefty structural cost of forming an entirely independent district. He also pointed to a disparity in public engagement, noting that a large proportion of the broader health district did not make a submission to the inquiry. "Worthy of consideration is the absence of submissions from much of the district which may be interpreted to suggest that many citizens and communities are content with the delivery of health services in their current form," Mr Barr said. "I am left with a firm belief that separation would lead to a decline in health services and health outcomes, not an improvement. "I do however believe that there is always room for improvement and I urge the Murrumbidgee Local Health District to look to the services offered in Griffith and how that benefits the various smaller communities that surround Griffith. "As it happensBreaking news alertBe the first to know when news breaks.