Manly Electorate Health Services 
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| Thursday, 31 May 2007 | ||||||
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Dear Minister, I am writing to you because I am so overwhelmed by the continuing degradation of the NSW health system. In particular the public hospitals are of great concern to me as a consumer and as a health professional the services at Manly Hospital. I am a strong believer in the ultimate good and need for a public health system and have continued to work in this system, but this is becoming increasingly difficult to do when you feel that the hospital management and government is working so hard against you. The women in the Manly area ? are subjected to third world conditions ? and do not receive the same quality food, accommodation, facilities or equipment as other patients in other maternity units in Northern Sydney Area Health. So now ? the women of Manly ? are subject to a ward that is 50 plus years old, staffing levels that have been cut and bed turn over increased, highly qualified midwives with masters degrees have to spend time washing floors making beds and restocking as administration refuse to give full coverage of a ward assistant. Other hospitals in Northern Sydney Area Health have received new units. Manly has been waiting patiently for a new hospital ? and the Maternity unit has suffered from lack of funding and refurbishment as we are constantly told that we need to wait for a new hospital. Where is the hospital? Will you please make a stand to show that the women, children and families are not subjected to continued buck passing ? The families on the Northern beaches have as much right to modern hospital facilities and equipment as any area. The question for the Minister for Health is twofold. First, will she listen to this letter, address the concerns about Manly Hospital and acknowledge the great work that Manly MidWives do? Second, is the long-term solution to which the Government is committed—that is, the provision of a new hospital—to be realised? An article from the Manly Daily—and I praise the Manly Daily for the fine community work it does—states: The clock is ticking from today for the State Government as residents demand action on the purchase of their Frenchs Forest homes needed to build the new northern beaches hospital. In a letter of demand mailed yesterday, five residents on Bantry Bay Rd and two on Frenchs Forest Rd have vowed to take the Government to the Land and Environment Court if their properties are not purchased in 90 days, or by August 29. Under the plan unveiled by Northern Sydney Central Coast Area Health Service in March last year, the Government was to have bought 11 properties by July 2006. But to date they have negotiated to acquire only four. The question for the Minister for Health is: where is the new hospital? Four properties bought, not eleven, and at the same time existing facilities have run down. That has been happening for more than 15 years. I see some members on the other side of the House who were kind enough to be present during my maiden speech two nights ago. They will remember that I said quite clearly that health services should be above politics. In that respect, Manly MidWives provide a compass for why we stand in this place. If the Minister for Health can assure the people of Manly of the continuation of the maternity unit, she should do so. The ward is more than 50 years old. That is unacceptable. I ask the Minister1 for Health to take that into account. She needs to commit, first and foremost, to ensuring that the maternity ward is not run down while we are waiting for the new hospital and, second, she needs to make a strong commitment to the construction of the new hospital. We on the northern beaches remember many promises. We had the wonder of The Spit Bridge widening. I do not want to dwell on that because that is a debate for another time. That widening was promised for five years and was expected to cost $59 million. Where has that money gone? Spending some of it on public transport would be a good start, but Manly Hospital needs money to maintain services that are a testament to those workers who continue to provide health services, particularly the maternity workers. I call on the Minister for Health to acknowledge that, to commit to the maintenance of Manly Hospital until the new hospital is built, and to get on with building it. Add to:          Write Comment
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