The Mayor, Cr Paul Harmon, announced at last week’s Council Meeting that a meeting has been arranged for next Monday to look further at the planned Hospital Redevelopment.  I was very pleased to note that, apart from Hunter New England Health and Council’s representatives, our local doctors are being invited to attend. After all, they are the people from this community who best understand what is needed in a new or redeveloped hospital. The Mayor and our local State Member (Adam Marshall MP) have done wonderfully well in taking the concerns of the local community, in respect of the planning, to the Minister for Health and convincing him to look further into the matter.  They deserve our grateful thanks.

When HNEH commenced planning just over two years ago – the number one priority was given to the establishment of a Clinical Plan.  It was to establish what services were to be provided in a new or redeveloped facility.  Most importantly, it was to establish what additional services could be provided locally, so that patients who could be adequately treated in Inverell would no longer have to be transferred to other centres.

At the public meeting held in Inverell six months later – March 29, 2016 – HNEH announced that the Clinical Plan had been completed and that copies would be available locally, in the near future.  That document - which is still to materialise – eighteen months later, should have established what a new or redeveloped facility would need to cater for.  Instead, planning proceeded behind closed doors with HNEH avoiding regular updates and ongoing consultations with the local community.  Regular requests for copies of the Clinical Plan were ignored.

Subsequently, very recently, HNEH and NSW Infrasructure held two half-day public information sessions in Inverell – mainly during normal working hours. Suddenly the local community became aware that all of this secret planning had produced a down-graded facility – less maternity beds – less paediatric beds – and less beds overall.  And no sign of additional services becoming available locally.  Advisory staff in attendance doggedly assured the community that the new facility would be fully adequate and functional.  Many locals were horrified.

What the Planners did not divulge was that they had worked on a predicted fall in local population of 2% - 7% from 2006 to 2026!  This was a blatant repeat of 2001 when the maternity and children’s wards were relocated and downgraded against similar incorrect data – and local opinion.  They would not listen to this then - and nothing has changed.

Local population figures by the Inverell Shire Council:

Year       Shire              Township 

2001      15,020                9,525

2006      15,510                9,749

2011      16,075               11,399

2016      16,936               11,660

I have been so concerned about the non-release of the Clinical Plan that I have made an application to Hunter New England Health under the Government Information (Public Access) 2009 GIPA Act - seeking access to the Plan. 

Under that Act HNEH has until October 17 to answer my application.  I would have liked to have had that decision prior to next Monday’s meeting. That probably will not happen.

We all talk about the wonderful job the local hospital staff do with their available sub-standard facilities.  But maybe it is time to talk about the bad experiences,  the time taken in excruciating pain, the nil by mouth experience, the long wait sometimes in getting to Armidale - and beyond - for further treatment - and the resulting major disruption to family life.  

I have referred a number of these matters through Adam Marshall to HNEH, without result.  Such matters need to be brought to attention for consideration of the Clinical Plan, if ever it surfaces.