DR LITTLE

SAVE BELLINGEN HOSPITAL

DEIDRE Little says lack of adequate notice by the North Coast Area Heath Service meant Bellingen Hospital’s doctors were unable to attend the vital task force review of facilities earlier this year.

In a letter to the NSW Health Minister, Carmel Tebbutt, Dr Little, who is the current chair of the hospital’s Medical Staff Council, said the hospital’s CEO, Vince Carroll, was only notified five days prior to the scheduled visit.

“Most of us were fully booked by patients well in advance of this date and time of notification,” Dr Little said.

“We were not consulted about any possible alternative date or time nor given the opportunity to negotiate a time when medical officers could attend.”

Dr Little said only one doctor out of a possible eight was present and that was due to a day off.

“We therefore consider the NCAHS CEO and Area Health Advisory Council have provided an invalid presentation to the Statewide Taskforce, as they have not met with the Medical Staff Council.

“We would like the Department to reissue the invitation for a proper consultation.”

Late on Tuesday the NCAHS responded saying notification of the consultation was made to the then chair of the council, Dr Fi Lam, on July 30.

“Dr Trevor Cheney was asked by her to attend the consultation on August 10,” a spokesperson said. “Other clinicians were also in attendance. Dr Lam is a member of the Clinical Services Planning Taskforce and has provided significant input at Taskforce meetings.”

A response from the minister regarding Dr Little’s request for a fresh consultation has not been received yet.

Ms Tebbutt’s office did however respond to a question about why Greens MP Lee Rhiannon was denied permission to make an official visit to the hospital when in Bellingen last Saturday: “Official visitors to hospitals must be accompanied by a senior staff member to avoid disruption to patients and their care. Ms Rhiannon’s request was only received one day prior to her intended visit.”and therefore could not be arranged within the timeframe.”


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SAVE BELLINGEN HOSPITAL

Cuts bleed Bellingen hospital: doctors
NATASHA WALLACE HEALTH
February 23, 2010
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BELLINGEN hospital does not do after-hours operations, offers no antenatal care, has no sterilisation equipment and, most recently, no after-hours radiology service. Now locals are concerned they are about to lose overnight emergency care.

Doctors and residents have dubbed a string of administrative decisions over the past few years ''death by a thousand cuts'' and are fearful the North Coast Area Heath Service has gradually run down services at the 34-bed Bellingen River District Hospital with a view to closing it.

Doctors will meet the State Health Minister, Carmel Tebbutt, tomorrow to demand a halt to cuts which have affected emergency, day surgery, maternity and acute care services.

Jaki Lockyer, a spokeswoman for the Bellingen Health Action Group, said over the past year day surgery had been reduced to half of its previous capacity. Surgeons have to bring enough medical equipment to do several procedures or use more expensive disposable equipment because there is no sterilisation equipment.

''All of the services are under attack. If not already experiencing severe reduction, they are threatened … it's really frightening,'' she said.

She said the area health service had recently flagged the closure of overnight emergency services.

''Our concern is that it is imminent … this is where lives will be at more risk.''

The chairwoman of the Medical Staff Council, Deirdre Little, called the situation ''death by a thousand cuts''.

Dr Little said Coffs Harbour hospital, which is about 40 minutes away, was already struggling to see emergency patients on time, had long waiting lists for elective surgery and could not cope with the excess patient load.

Since maternity services were cut at Bellingen - there was just one birth there last year and no antenatal care despite 125 pregnancies in the area - women had to travel long distances in labour.

A week ago Rosemary Mackney drove herself 40 minutes to Coffs Harbour hospital for an antenatal check-up, where she was told she was in labour.

''It was a real stress … I was really freaking out that I'd be stuck in a vehicle on my way to give birth,'' Ms Mackney said.

Dr Little said the area health service did a patient activity audit for 2007-2008 which had several errors but it had not released a corrected version. Doctors were concerned the data might be used to justify a further erosion of services.

A spokesman for the area health service said it had ''no plans to close the Bellingen River District Hospital'', and it had ''made no decision to partly close'' the emergency department. A copy of the correct patient profile had been sent to Dr Little last Friday.