Tuesday, October 27, 2009

HEAL Media Release - It’s a Bl**dy Long Way to Nepean Hospital! Walk

HEAL supporters discussing logistics for the big walk in November

In a bid to underscore the distance that Mountains residents are routinely required to travel for basic, primary healthcare services, HEAL (Hospital Equity & Access Lobby) has announced a supporter’s walk from Blue Mountains District Anzac Memorial Hospital (BMDAMH) to Nepean Hospital on the weekend of November 28th & 29th 2009.

At the completion of the walk, HEAL is hoping to present the NSW Minister for Health with a letter requesting that the Blue Mountains hospital be reclassified as a rural hospital and that the Minister prioritises the re-opening of beds and services currently closed at the hospital.

HEAL spokesperson, Janet Mays said that staffing shortages at Blue Mountains hospital mean that many hospital services are now temporarily or permanently provided off Mountain at Nepean hospital. “Whilst we understand that there have been staffing shortages at the hospital, we don’t understand why Blue Mountains hospital can’t be reclassified as a rural hospital which will help to both attract and retain clinicians; why a job freeze remains in place and why all staff were recently offered voluntary redundancies”.

“It would be easy to just sit back and accept the decline in locally provided services as a sign of the times, but we can’t do that” said Ms Mays. “With a local population of 76,000 people, close to 3 million visitors per annum and the North West subregional strategy detailing an additional 7,000 houses for the Blue Mountains by 2031, we absolutely need a local hospital that delivers basic, primary healthcare services 24 hours a day/7 days a week”.

“Our hospital is a vital part of the social and economic fabric of our community and through our walk we hope to keep the need for locally provided hospital services top of mind for our State decision makers” said Mays.

The It’s a Bl**dy Long Way to Nepean Hospital! walk will commence at 8.30am on Saturday November 28th and conclude at Nepean Hospital at 4.00pm on Sunday November 29th.

Residents interested in joining the walk for some or all of the way or providing support to the walkers are invited to an information meeting to be held at the Alex hotel in Leura at 7.00pm on Thursday, November 12th 2009. Alternatively contact HEAL on 0417 979 578 or via email at heal@internode.on.net.

No comments:

Post a Comment