Public Meeting Re Country Hospital Changes & Subsequent Backdown

[Ray]

NORTHERN AREAS COUNCIL

Public Meeting on South Australia’s Country Health Care Plan

In response to a number of concerns expressed by local residents in relation to the State Government’s Country Health Care Plan, Council will be convening a public meeting at the:

Jamestown Town Hall
on
Thursday 3 July 2008 at 7:30 pm

Local health care officials have been invited to attend to explain the philosophy behind the Country Health Care Plan and how the proposed changes to services may impact on people within the district.

There are aspects of the proposed Country Health Care Plan which may have merit – but there is uncertainty on how they will or could be delivered.

Issues of concern which have been raised with Council include:
•   Funding for increased primary health care
•   The future of the Jamestown Hospital
•   The policy on admittances at the Jamestown Hospital
•   The level of emergency service that will be provided at the Jamestown Hospital
•   The nature of conditions that will necessitate transference (of patients) to Pt Pirie Hospital
•   The cost of transport (of patients) to Pt Pirie Hospital
•   Transport arrangements for family members wishing to visit loved ones at Pt Pirie Hospital
•   The future of staff (including nurses) at the Jamestown Hospital
•   The effect that a down-graded Hospital will have within the community
•   The multiplier effect on the possible loss of other essential services

It is hoped that health professionals attending the meeting will be able to address these issues in addition to “taking questions from the floor”.

People can acquaint themselves with details of the South Australian Country Health Care Plan by visiting the Health Commission’s web site at: www.health.sa.gov.au

[adminer]

Thanks for this information Ray.  If you are able to attend the meeting and report details in the Forum, my view is it will be appreciated by those unable to attend.   That also goes for anyone else who wishes to comment.

Also Ray, the ABC reports & Doctors at the recent protest gave information that indicated Whyalla would be the nearest major service Hospital (one of only 4 in the State) to Jamestown.  Are you aware if this has changed and that Port Pirie will retain Full Hospital Services?

[Ray]

I was informed today that as near as can be established, Whyalla is still proposed as the Hospital for our area.

Lunacy, sheer lunacy.

This whole episode is nothing short of criminal, we had better hospital facilities in Jamestown 50 years ago when it was run by locals. We had one Secretary and everyone else was nursing staff answerable to the Matron. Now the Hospital is top heavy with Admin staff, minimal nursing staff and no real surgical facility.

And the pollies tell us we are better off. Pbbbbt!!

[utegirl70]

Pitty the poor polly who gets sick in one of the lil' country towns, and has to be transported to the "nearest" local hospital.

It will probably take that, to get them to take notice.
They're not interested in small towns, or anything for that matter, that doesn't affect them personally.

Isn't it ironic, that they say they need more and more doctors,nurses etc in small country hospitals, unyet all the young people who are going and training in the city to become our next doctors/nurses, wont have hospitals to return to.

[adminer]

What amazes me most is that when the Jamestown Cottage Hospital was established in the late 1800's (for men only), it was done so with predominantly private donations from the community.  Since that time a major proportion of our Hospital's equipment and facilities have come from other than Government sources. Yet this State Government has the audacity to take it away. As you say Ray - sheer (and unfair) lunacy. 

Refer to this extract from "Jamestown - A Photographic Study" by Leith Cooper published 1978
http://www.jamestownevents.com/pages/Jamestown_Hospital.html

Utegirl70 - I totally agree. Maybe our State Labor Pollies will never again embrace the wonders of country South Australia - after all if they had say a car accident or heart attack, the "Golden Hour" in which lives can be saved will most likely be gone before they reach one of their 4 major Hospitals!

[Ray]

Well, I went to the meeting, but unfortunately had to leave because of reasons beyond my control after only about an hour. This morning I spoke to several other persons who were present, and from what i understand, our hospital will NOT be losing any of it's present services and will continue as is.

However it was made very clear, (almost TOO clear) that should Dr. Conway leave, this would be reviewed. Now that in itself may seem quite reasonable, but taking into account what was said (and also some of what was NOT said) by Rowena (Conway) I got the distinct impression that there is something going on in the background, this was also supported by one of my contacts this morning. My own impression being that this statement could very easily be perceived as a veiled threat. When her time came, Rowena pointed out quite emphatically that she and her supporting Doctors and staff were as capable as any of the Doctors in Port Pirie, and in other than specialist treatment, could offer services equal or better to that available in the larger "Community Hospitals" at Port Pirie and Clare. Rowena's speech was clear and very much to the point, amply demonstrating the fact that the scheme offered absolutely no benefits to those reliant on the Jamestown Hospital, (This move is clearly only designed to benefit the Government), other than that I got the distinct impression gained by myself was that she was not happy with the proposed developments. She received a very well deserved ovation at the conclusion of her speech.

Our recently arrived Intern, Angela, (I hope I have her name correct) also made the point that she had deliberately chosen the Jamestown Medical Practice as the place to continue her studies precisely because of the wide diversity of cases seen in places like this and also that we had a Hospital where both Maternity and surgical Services were available. Making the point,"How are we going to be able to attract young doctors to the country if they are not able to train in that environment"?

There were several people who raised some very pertinent questions and made some good points, the only one whom I knew personally being John Batten our local News Agent and Real Estate salesman.

From what I could see the general opinion was that those present are not happy with the way in which our Hospital and Health services are headed, and that despite the reassurances of the Government representatives present the public is highly sceptical of the Government's ultimate aims. Tom Neilsen the representative for the Dept of Health (I think) was of little use, because the only thing he seemed to know, was that he could not provide any definite answers for questions raised by members of the community.

I personally feel that a good healthy dose of paranoia is not altogether out of order in this case.

[adminer]

Thank you Ray. That's most helpful. From what you say, a lack of knowledgeable and definitive answers from Government Health Dept. reps must as you say, raise concerns.

[adminer]

Here is where to post your comments about what the new plan should comprise following the Rann Government's backdown.

[hatchbackgirl75]

Our recently arrived Intern, Angela, (I hope I have her name correct)

Angela is new? Shows how long I've been here!

She delivered my baby. I was supposed to get Rowena but ... babies don't respect doctor's shifts, even if you are booked in.

This whole country hospital thing was a farce. Its good they backed down. Imagine, being in Hawker and being shipped off to your friendly local Whyalla hospital?

Having Whyalla as the local one would have made people drive to the Lyle McEwin or even the Adelaide city hospitals instead and thus having no effect on this distributed thing, since Whyalla is further away than Adelaide from Jamestown.

Before they started the hospital closure stupidity I was under the impression that Jamestown was one of the better hospitals in the region, since they were expanding it and the town is growing so much, I'd just got an invite to a new ward opening, and there are all these new doctors in town. You don't just build new wards to close them immediately. Idiots.

[Ray]

Hi Hatchbackgirl75, welcome to the forum!

It's a great pity that only it seems only those who live in the country could see the stupidity of the Government's proposed plan. I think that your assessment of Jamestown's Hospital was fairly accurate, not that I am qualified in any way to judge, but I can't say that I've ever heard any complaints.

I detest being a patient, but must admit that during the short stays that I've had, I could not have wished for better care from both the hospital and medical staff.

Your comment about the waste of opening new wards and then downgrading or closing hospitals is somewhat typical of Government wastefulness, and is more common that one would like to see. The left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing, the "pollies" are too busy trying to win friends and influence people, while those in the public service are busy building personal their own little empires all at huge expense to the taxpayer.

The really sad thing is that there is no alternative. as one party is as bad as another. (Or as one local wag said to me, "They're worse than each other") I think we all know what he meant.

In my view, we need "More government, and less politics".

[adminer]

This whole country hospital thing was a farce. Its good they backed down. Imagine, being in Hawker and being shipped off to your friendly local Whyalla hospital?

Hi hatchbackgirl75.
If you take a look at this web page we've just posted,http://www.jamestownevents.com/jamestown_hospital_closure_2.html detailing recent articles in "The Advertiser", I'm thinking the fight is not yet over and they are going to have another go!

[utegirl70]

Hi hatchbackgirl75.
If you take a look at this web page we've just posted,http://www.jamestownevents.com/jamestown_hospital_closure_2.html detailing recent articles in "The Advertiser", I'm thinking the fight is not yet over and they are going to have another go!

Idiots like that Rex Jory shouldn't be given any ammo.. he is one of those rock dwellers, who thrive on other peoples misery.

What a tosser.

Enuf said.