Alliance asks Minister for review

The Woy Woy Public Hospital Alliance has written to the Minister for Health Mr John Della Bosca urging him to review the decision to relocate the Woy Woy Hospital Rehabilitation Ward to Wyong late last year.

The letter, written by group liaison officer Mr Ivan Kinny, was tabled at the alliance's meeting on August 1.

According to Mr Kinny, the letter was enthusiastically endorsed by more than 40 Peninsula supporters at the meeting.

"The Woy Woy Public Hospital Alliance is now firmly established and is receiving widespread community support," Mr Kinny said.

"It aims to secure the hospital's future as a publicly owned facility with expanded services, including the re-establishment of the rehabilitation centre which the health department closed last year.

"That downgrading of the hospital was done without community consultation and is totally at variance with the State Government's policy of increasing the population of this area."

Mr Kinny said the alliance's new motto, the latin phrase "semper vivens, semper agens" meaning "always alive, always successful", encapsulated the group's passion and drive to see Woy Woy Hospital remain a public facility for the community.

He said the letter written to Mr Della Bosca raised a number of "vital issues" that were at stake if the hospital were to go private or become downgraded.

"The fact that this greatly valued local health facility has been visited by representatives of the Brisbane Waters Private Hospital and also that its rehabilitation centre has been closed, casts a shadow over its future," Mr Kinny said.

"A local public hospital has been downgraded in an area of growing demographic need for its expansion rather than its diminution.

"To add insult to injury, the closure of the unit has led to great public indignation and distress because the beds removed had been initially provided by local public subscription.

"There are people here who helped to buy them.

"The action to close the rehabilitation centre was taken without public consultation, and no convincing reason has been given for it.

"There is no credible reason why a rehabilitation centre should be a physical part of an acute hospital.

"Gosford Hospital does not have one, and now Woy Woy us unable to serve it as it has done for the past 30 years."

Mr Kinny said he questioned the recommendation of clinicians to close the rehabilitation centre and called on Mr Della Bosca to name and disclose how the clinicians were consulted in the first place.

"I would be pleased if the Minister would let us know the status of these advisors," Mr Kinny said.

"Who were they and how were they consulted?

"Did any of them have a personal interest with the sale of Woy Woy Hospital, or any part of it, to the private sector?

"If so, serious questions would need to be raised."

According to Mr Kinny, if the Peninsula were to lose its public hospital, a rapidly increasing number of elderly residents would be unable to afford medical treatment in their local area and to the "detriment of their health and wellbeing".

"The general manager of Central Coast Health Mr Hanrahan has told us that the sale of Woy Woy Public Hospital is not on the Government's agenda," Mr Kinny said.

"These are evasive words and give no assurance whatsoever.

"The Minister's assurance would be more convincing."

Mr Kinny said a petition containing more than 3000 signatures in support of the Woy Woy Public Hospital Alliance was expected to be presented by Member for Terrigal Mr Chris Hartcher to State Parliament in the near future.

Letter, 28 Jul 2009 Ivan Kinny, Woy Woy Public Hospital Alliance