Wee Waa has become the latest focal point in the region’s ongoing struggle for decent health services, with a shortage of nurses blamed for reduce operations at the small local hospital, and a renewed call to split the Hunter New England Local Health District.
Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton has called for the leadership of the Hunter New England Local Health District to visit the community of Wee Waa and come up with a solution, following the effective closure of the local hospital. State Member Roy Butler has been working with the Health Minister and has picked up Adam Marshall’s call for the Hunter New England Local Health District to be split.
But after months of campaigning and multiple political statements and commitments, the needle hasn’t moved and locals are still living without the basic hospital services they should have.
Speaking in Parliament Mr Coulton said basic health care is something that all Australians should have access to.
“The community of Wee Waa have been very angry and upset by the actions of Hunter New England Health,” Mr Coulton said.
“They have closed Wee Waa Hospital. The Emergency Department closes at 5.30pm every day. There is no visiting medical officer, and this hospital is largely underutilised. There are wards with beds. There are treatment rooms. Everything is ready to go.
“Can you imagine the frustration of a community that has had a service that is no longer available?”
Mr Coulton acknowledged that responsibility for the hospital falls to the New South Wales Government but noted that despite reassurances from the Independent State Member and the New South Wales Health Minister, there appeared to be no action by Hunter New England Health.
“Hunter New England Health do have form, I think, in the lack of interest in the issues of and services for people in northern New South Wales.”
The issues in Wee Waa were also evident in the results of the New England Times Engage Poll on health last year, with locals telling us that none of local GPs had visiting rights at the facility and almost everyone was being sent to Narrabri. Protests and petitions last year resulted in little change, although last month, concerned locals were given a tour of the facilities and a meeting to try and address concerns.
A Hunter New England Local Health District spokesperson said they are committed to recruitment strategies that ensure high-quality clinical staff are available at all facilities, including Wee Waa Health Service.
“Recruiting and retaining doctors and nurses in rural and remote areas remains a significant challenge, not just for Hunter New England Local Health District, but across the country.
“We value the support of local general practitioners and the dedication of our staff in Wee Waa, who continue to provide vital healthcare services to the community.
“To strengthen our workforce, we’re actively recruiting and offering incentives for staff to join our rural and regional network. Our immediate priority is filling multiple nursing vacancies at Wee Waa, as they are essential to maintaining safe and effective care.
The spokesperson reiterated that the entire hospital was not ‘closed’ as such – Wee Waa emergency department (ED) continues to operate from 8:00am until 5.30pm daily, with presentations outside of these times are redirected to Narrabri Hospital, and some outpatient and care services are still being provided, and telehealth support available to provide specialist advice to local staff. They also denied the claims of some locals that the facilities were falling into disrepair or were in any way unsafe.
State Member Roy Butler has also been outspoken about the situation at Wee Waa, and taken over from Adam Marshall in championing the split of the Hunter New England Health District in to Hunter and New England districts to help get better services for locals.
“For nearly two years now Wee Waa Hospital has been operating at reduced hours, effectively it is closed with only a skeleton staff.
“Hunter New England Local Health District has consistently failed to do what is necessary to reopen the hospital. They have also failed to engage with the local community to work on a solution, even actively undermining a community working party formed for that specific purpose.”
Mr Butler delivered a Private Member’s Statement detailing the situation at the hospital and the shortcomings of local health district administration, asked the Minister for an inquiry into the health district’s failure regarding Wee Waa Hospital and has introduced a bill to split up the health district into separate Hunter and New England LHDs.
“Splitting the health district would end the great divide between well-resourced hospitals in the east of HNE LHD and those that are poorly resourced in the west.
“This idea is not a new one, former MP for the Northern Tablelands, Adam Marshall, also introduced a bill to split the health district, after getting 16,000 signatures on a petition for the split, showing the depth of support for the plan,” he said.
However, Health Minister Ryan Park does not feel that splitting the health district is the answer.
“I know Hunter New England LHD is continuing to investigate opportunities to expand or provide additional, relevant health services to the Wee Waa community, as well as other areas across the district.
“No one is saying there aren’t challenges in our regional local health districts, while I’m open to hearing the debate, I haven’t been convinced previously that splitting the Hunter New England LHD is the answer.
“It will only duplicate existing services, stretching resources and capacity without solving critical recruitment challenges,” he said.
“We’re throwing everything we can at recruiting and retaining health workers in regional, rural and remote areas, including doubling rural health incentives; investing $200.1 million in health worker accommodation; introducing study subsidies for regional health workers; and boosting doctors in our regional GP surgeries as well as hospitals through the single employer model.”
Mr Coulton said it was not just the community of Wee Waa that is being impacted by this decision.
“Wee Waa Hospital services a big community, largely to the west. There are communities from Burren Junction up to Rowena and nearly as far out as Walgett. Those people of western New South Wales rely on Wee Waa Hospital.
“I’m calling on the New South Wales Government and Hunter New England Health to get behind the people of Wee Waa, get their skates on, hop in the car, drive to Wee Waa and fix this problem that should be very, very simply fixed with just a bit of gumption and purpose.
“The people of Wee Waa deserve a health service that’s reliable and available, and I’m backing them in on this.”
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