It's a Bl**dy Long Way to Nepean Hospital! walk - Media Release

MEDIA RELEASE

Promises of rural reclassification for the Blue Mountains District ANZAC Memorial Hospital were made to walkers at the start of Saturday’s It’s a Bl**dy Long Way to Nepean Hospital! walk.

Over 100 red and white themed walkers took to road for the walk organised by HEAL (Hospital Equity & Access Lobby) to highlight the distance that Mountains residents are routinely required to travel for basic primary healthcare services.

Walkers were joined by the NSW Opposition Health Spokesperson Jillian Skinner, the Member for the Blue Mountains Phil Koperberg and several local Councillors.

HEAL spokesperson and Blue Mountains Deputy Mayor Janet Mays described the separate announcements made to walkers by Mrs Skinner and Mr Koperberg as significant and a potential major victory for the Blue Mountains community.

“Rural reclassification enables the paying of higher entitlements to clinicians. This would be a great step forward in our ability to attract doctors to our community” she said.

Walkers withstood hot temperatures as they made their way down to Nepean hospital over the 2 day weekend period.

“We were enthusiastically embraced by motorists along the way who honked their support for our cause” said Ms Mays.

“Throughout the route people stopped to ask us questions and to lend their support to our cause. The Northern Road in Penrith was particularly noisy with drivers showing their support because they recognise that Penrith residents are impacted by an additional 76,000 people being channelled into their local hospital”.

Eight tired and exhausted walkers and supporters reached Nepean Hospital at 3.00pm on Sunday and were met by Executives from the Sydney West Area Health Service.

HEAL presented a letter to the Minister for Health requesting that BMDAMH be reclassified as a rural hospital and that the 8 beds in the Rehabilitation unit at BMDAMH be re-opened.

“It truly is a bl**dy long way to Nepean Hospital said Clr Janet Mays at the completion of the 53km walk. It’s simply too far to travel for healthcare services by car and a very long way on foot!” she concluded.

BL**DY LONG WAY video Mk II: The Egyptian Reggae mix

The Egyptian Reggae mix of the first day of the HEAL march from Katoomba Hospital to Nepean Hospital in Penrith, to demonstrate what a bloody long way it is for the Blue Mountains community when services are not provided at Katoomba Hospital.

CLICK HERE!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZA9S6IgrO4

You can view video of the start of "It's A Bl**dy Long Way to Nepean" at:

http://www.youtube.com/user/larrybuttrose#p/a/u/0/myL1ByD1LrY

Local MP Phil Koperberg with Blue Mountains Deputy Mayor Cr Janet Mays

On Saturday 28 November 2009 hundreds of Blue Mountains residents concerned about the future of Katoomba Hospital rallied for HEAL's two-day walk down to Nepean Hospital in Penrith. Called "It's a Bl**dy Long Way to Nepean Hospital" the demonstration's aim is to raise awareness about community concerns about the running down of services at Katoomba Hospital, and the fears of some that the state government might at some point close it entirely. It is intended to highlight just how far Blue Mountains residents have been expected to travel for treatment at Nepean, including some widely publicised cases of women in labour, some of whom have given birth by the side of the road on the way down. Among the marchers was 7 month old Adelaide Buttrose whose traumatic birth made the front page of the Sydney Morning Herald and the Gazette after her mother was first turned away by Katoomba Hospital and then sent in an ambulance to Nepean, and almost gave birth on the way down. State Opposition Health Spokesperson Jillian Skinner and local ALP member Phil Koperberg both attended the rally. HEAL organiser and Blue Mountains Deputy Mayor Councillor Janet Mays addressed the rally and led the marchers off on the 53 kilometre walk down to Penrith.

well-capped HEAL supporters

Belle Buttrose with Opposition Health spokesperson Jillian Skinner

Cr Janet Mays with supporters, from left: Leah and Jacob, Ada-Bella and Belle, Steve and Benjamin, Cr Janet Mays, Vanessa and Keira

Doctors sick of failure to fix ailing hospitals

SMH
NATASHA WALLACE
November 19, 2009

EXCLUSIVE

DOCTORS are appalled by what they say is a complete failure to implement vital reforms in public hospitals recommended a year ago, according to a survey released exclusively to the Herald.

It comes as an independent audit of the reforms released by the state Health Minister said hospitals were finding it increasingly difficult to provide quality patient care.

Three-quarters of doctors believe the state's public hospitals have not become a better place to work in the past six months and 71 per cent say the health service has cut clinical staff, according to the survey of 510 doctors.

Since Peter Garling, SC, handed down his landmark report a year ago, calling for an urgent overhaul of the state's hospital system, little has changed on the ground, the survey conducted for the Australian Medical Association and the Australian Salaried Medical Officers, concludes.

Doctors were overwhelmingly negative about the lack of improvement and many said the only obvious reform was identification badges. One said: ''It's been mainly pictures on the wall and new badges - nothing that's going to change clinical care.''

Read more http://www.smh.com.au/national/doctors-sick-of-failure-to-fix-ailing-hospitals-20091118-imjr.html

It's a Bl**dy Long Way to Nepean Hospital! Walk - Information

Please come along and support us. Walk 1km or 50kms!

Walk Start Date: Saturday, November 28th 2009

Walk Start: Blue Mountains District Anzac Memorial Hospital

Walk Registration: from 8.00am

Walk Commencement: 8.30am


DAY 1 - Saturday, November 28th 2009

Stage 1: BMDAMH – Wentworth Falls Commuter Car Park 5.8kms

- Registration for walkers from 8.00am

- Walk Commencement at 8.30am

- Walk from BMDAMH to Wentworth Falls via Leura

- Break at Wentworth Falls Commuter Car Par (toilets available)


Stage 2: Wentworth Falls to Woodford Post Office (GWH, Woodford) 15.3kms

- Walk to Tablelands Road, Wentworth Falls

- Walkers will be driven from Tablelands Road, Wentworth Falls to Genevieve Road, Bullaburra due to an inability to access safe footpaths/walking tracks for this part of the journey

- Walk from Bullaburra to the Woodford Post Office (toilets at Lawson)

- Walkers will then be driven from Woodford Post Office to the Gallery Tearooms (The Old Block Factory) on the GWH at Faulconbridge due to an inability to access safe footpaths/walking tracks for this part of the journey

- Break at Gallery/Tearooms at Faulconbridge (toilets in the gallery)


Stage 3: Faulconbridge to Springwood Neighbourhood Centre (Macquarie Road, Springwood) 5.4kms

- Walk from Faulconbridge to Springwood village

- Finish day 1 at the Springwood Neighbourhood Centre – cuppa and a chat with Phil Koperberg, MP for the Blue Mountains (toilets in the neighbourhood centre).

DAY 2 - Sunday, November 29th 2009

Stage 1: Jim Aitken Real Estate, 7 Great Western Highway, Valley Heights to Blaxland Shops 7.1kms

- Registration for Day 2 walkers from 8.00am

- Walk Commencement at 8.30am

- Walk from Valley Heights to Blaxland Shops

- Break at Blaxland shops (toilets available)


Stage 2: Blaxland Shops to Glenbrook Visitor Information Centre 3.2kms

- Break at Visitor Information Centre (toilets available)


Stage 3: Glenbrook Visitor Information Centre to Nepean Hospital
13.1kms

- Walkers will be driven from the Visitor Information Centre at Glenbrook to Caltex Station on cnr of Russell Street and Great Western Highway (GWH) at Emu Plains due to an inability to access safe footpaths/walking tracks for this part of the journey.

- Walk from Caltex Emu Plains to Nepean Hospital via Shopping Centre in Penrith (toilets available). Break point will be agreed.

Defining Primary Health Care

"The importance of primary health as being the foundation of a strong health service is widely accepted." (John Menadue, 2003)

• Primary Health Care Philosophy
  - holistic understanding of health
  - recognition of multiple determinants of health
  - community control over health services
  - health promotion and disease prevention
  - equity in health care
  - research-based methods
  - accessible, acceptable, affordable technology

• Primary Health Care Strategies
  - needs-based planning
  - decentralised management
  - education
  - intersectoral coordination and cooperation
  - balance between health promotion, prevention and treatment
  - multi-disciplinary health workers

• Primary Health Care Services
  - locally based
  - affordable and accessible
  - well integrated
  - health care teams
  - health promotion
  - disease prevention
  - illness treatment
  - rehabilitation services

Source: Centre for Health Equity Training, Research &Evaluation (CHETRE) 2003-2004

It's a Bl**dy Long Way to Nepean Hospital! Walk - Information Session

If you are participating in the It’s a Bl**dy Long Way to Nepean Hospital! walk on Saturday, November 28th or Sunday, November 29th, please attend the information session at 7.00pm on Thursday, November 12th at the Alex hotel in Leura.

If you are unable to attend this meeting and require further information, please email heal@internode.on.net

HEAL Media Release - HEAL Applauds Bipartisan Approach to Maternity Service at BMDAMH

HEAL has applauded the combined efforts of Jillian Skinner, the NSW Shadow Minister for Health and Blue Mountains MP, Phil Koperberg for delivering a strongly worded Motion in the NSW Parliament concerning the provision of maternity services at Blue Mountains District Anzac Memorial Hospital (BMDAMH).

“Mrs Skinner placed the original Motion before the NSW Parliament in October 2008 and it has taken a full year to have the Motion debated” said HEAL spokesperson, Janet Mays.

“Phil Koperberg, with the agreement of the Opposition, then amended the original Motion to acknowledge current concerns regarding staff recruitment at BMDAMH. The end result was a strongly worded Motion that was unanimously passed in the Legislative Assembly.

“We really appreciate the efforts of both Mrs Skinner and Mr Koperberg in bringing this Motion before the Parliament.

“We especially acknowledge the amendment from Phil Koperberg which calls upon the Government to direct the Sydney West Area Health Service to do all that is necessary to permanently maintain services at Blue Mountains District ANZAC Memorial Hospital” said Ms Mays.

Jillian Skinner has advised that she will participate in HEAL’s It’s a Bl**dy Long Way to Nepean Hospital! walk on Saturday November 28th. Mrs Skinner will walk stage 1 from BMDAMH to Wentworth Falls. Phil Koperberg will then meet the walkers at his Springwood office at the completion of the first day.

The It’s a Bl**dy Long Way to Nepean Hospital! walk is intended to underscore the distance that Mountains residents are routinely required to travel for basic primary healthcare services.

HEAL is hopeful of meeting the NSW Minister for Health at the completion of the walk to hand her a letter requesting that BMDAMH be reclassified as a rural hospital and that current service/bed closures be prioritised for re-opening.