A COMMUNITY campaign for the redevelopment of the ageing Inverell District Hospital has been launched by Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
“We’re fighting for the redevelopment of Inverell Hospital to secure more health services for Inverell to provide care to people closer to home in modern facilities,” Mr Marshall said.
“The Inverell district’s population is growing and this is placing added demands on our hospital, which is showing the signs of age and a lack of major capital investment over a long period of time.”
Mr Marshall was joined at the launch by Inverell Mayor Paul Harmon, President of Operation Operating Room Di Baker, Local Health Advisory Committee members, hospital management and other community members, who are all supporting the campaign.
“Hunter New England Health have recently scoped out the clinical priorities for the hospital so now is the right time to ‘turn the screws’ on the Health Minister and the government to commit to the project,” he told the group today.
“We’re seeking in excess of $20 million for the total redevelopment and I believe we now have a very strong case but I’m asking for the community’s help to put as much pressure on the government to increase our chances of success.”
Mr Marshall said that since his election around 18 months ago he had fielded many calls from locals concerned about the ageing facilities at the hospital.
“Inverell residents constantly say to me that there are some wonderful staff at the hospital, but sadly they are forced to work in an environment that doesn’t allow them to care for their patients to the standard they wish to,” he said.
Mr Marshall said the hospital’s renal dialysis unit, after recently being expanded, was at capacity again and required a “major overhaul and further expansion” to cater for the increasing demand in Inverell and Glen Innes.
“At the moment some Inverell locals have to travel to Armidale for dialysis due to a lack of places available here in the community,” he said. “That is simply not good enough.”
“It’s also time that serious funding was allocated to enhance the hospital’s operating theatres, acute care, maternity and pediatric services, as well as improved inpatient and community health facilities.”
Mr Marshall is urging the community to flood his office with letters and emails supporting the redevelopment and sign the form letters, which are being distributed around the community.
The letters are addressed to the Minister for Health Jillian Skinner and Mr Marshall intends to present them, together with other correspondence, to the Minister in late January.
“It’s important that we ensure the Minister listens to the Inverell community and overwhelming need for this redevelopment and commits the required funding,” he said.
