February 26 - March 4, 2017: Issue 302

Community Concerns Over Future Of Mona Vale Hospital Grow Apace With Frenchs Forest Developments: Parkway Emergency

Two videos put together by John Illingsworth and Phil Walker featuring the concerns many residents have already expressed to this news service have been published this week.

“I believe my community needs and wants to keep Mona Vale Hospital as a basic Level 3 public hospital as it is presently functioning and has served the public well for many years. It just needs refurbishing floor by floor as Maternity was successfully done.   Other public hospitals have been successfully refurbished while still in operation - Bankstown, Blacktown, Camden - the list goes on. We have been told 60% of the local population has private Health Insurance but that means 40 % doesn't. Don't those people count? Don't they have needs? “ Newport GP Dr. Suzanne Daly states in one of these films.

One of the main points, that of the distance between Palm Beach and the new Frenchs Forest hospital, especially when the Wakehurst Parkway is flooded and closed, and as this stretch of road is still not included in any planned upgrades for access points around the new hospital, is also discussed.

“The birthing unit is well patronised and safe with the current backup of an operating theatre, obstetrician and anaesthetist. It can't continue at MVDH when that goes. In the rare but potentially life threatening event of obstructed labour the baby has to be got out in 20 minutes. You could not get a woman to Frenchs Forest in that time.

A proper A and E has to have onsite an operating theatre with basic specialist surgical and medical services with pathology, radiology and inpatient monitoring ECG etc. Patients perceive symptoms after hours as potentially life threatening and want full assessment.

… the W.H.O (World Health Organisation) states that a proper A and E needs to be no more than 30 mins by road for all the people in the area it serves. People north of Newport are beyond that from the Frenchs Forest  emergency.”

Both Films run below.

WHERE TO NOW MONA VALE HOSPITAL?

Published on 22 Feb 2017

What The People think about Mona Vale Hospital, as opposed to what The Politicians say they must have. The main film is in production now.

The Minister, the petition, and the 11,864 Pittwater petitioners

Published on 26 Feb 2017

I believe my community needs and wants to keep Mona Vale Hospital as a basic Level 3 public hospital as it is presently functioning and has served the public well for many years. It just needs refurbishing floor by floor as Maternity was successfully done. Other public hospitals have been successfully refurbished while still in operation - Bankstown, Blacktown, Camden - the list goes on. W e have been told 60% of the local population has private Health Insurance but that means 40 % doesn't. Don't those people count? Don't they have needs? There are waiting lists for up to 2 years already with 2 public hospitals operating. What will happen when there are no public hospitals? I am not aware of waiting lists for private services.

The birthing unit is well patronized and safe with the current backup .of an operating theatre, obstetrician and anaesthetist. It can't continue at MVDH when that goes. In the rare but potentially life threatening event of obstructed labour the baby has to be got out in 20 minutes. You could not get a woman to Frenchs Forest in that time.

A proper A and E has to have onsite an operating theatre with basic specialist surgical and medical services with pathology, radiology and inpatient monitoring ecg etc. Patients perceive symptoms after hours as potentially life threatening and want full assessment.

A G.P style after hours clinic was tried in the grounds in parallel with A and E but was bypassed by the public and closed for lack of use. Also W.H.O states that a proper A and E needs to be no more than 30 mins by road for all the people in the area it serves. People north of Newport are beyond that from the F.F. emergency.

It needs to be affordable to the disadvantaged. The San is the only private hospital I know of that provides A and E and charges something like $250 a visit plus all other investigations. The community needs the continuation of inpatient paediatric services.Our local member told me we have one of the highest primary enrollments in the state. The children's hospitals are several hours drive away and this places a huge burden on families.

The community needs access to public day surgery services such as endoscopy and cataract extraction. There is already a 2 year waiting list for cataracts there being no public day surgery centres other than MVDH and Manly. When these go what will happen? We need basic inpatient services for the elderly currently being managed at home when a crisis occurs. I know of no new public nursing homes being built what will happen to those who haven't got 300 to 500 thousand dollars for a bond? The hospitals are already overburdened by aged care. How will the one hospital cope in the future?

We need inpatient palliative care services as the hospices are all out of the area, thus placing a huge burden on families particularly aged spouses. We need basic Inpatient hospital services to care for the chronically ill to take the pressure off our rocket science hospitals. They need T.L.C nursing care not technology. Ask anyone whether they got better TLC in RNSH or their local small hospital! 

Suzanne Daly