The Beagle Editor:
The NSW Health Minister, Brad Hazzard, finally signed our Clinical Services Plan in 2020: this formed the basis of the whole Eurobodalla Health District planning in regard the type, size and range of health services needed, leading to the definition of services for the new Eurobodalla hospital.
Aware of the current Local Radiotherapy Services Petition, a friendly informant helpfully drew our attention to page 13 of the 2020 CSP document, which states, and we quote:
“Eurobodalla residents
“The estimated population of the Eurobodalla Shire in 2016 was 37,968 people, and it is projected to increase to 40,517 by 2031. This gives the LGA the second largest population in the SNSWLHD.”
This sits in critical contrast to the just released 2021 census data which reveals that the Eurobodalla population is already at 40,593.
We strongly believe this justifies an immediate review of the 2020 CSP, and of the resulting services levels planned for the Level 4 Eurobodalla Regional Hospital, to correctly align with the actual current population level and the population level re-forecasted for 2031.
Below is the the summary table of the projected infrastructure configuration, page 127 of the 2020 CSP, to give an idea of the quantum size of the impact. For example, the summary indicated that the total number of beds required would go from 111 in 2020 to 159 in 2031. On the Census population figures to hand, the number of beds and required services currently planned are therefore patently inadequate.
To proceed with the service levels currently being insisted on by SNSWLHD is extremely concerning, and justifies the questions and misgivings the community, our Local Member and ONE New L4 Hospital Advocates Group have continuously expressed regarding the inadequate scope and scale of what is planned for our new hospital.
If SNSWLHD and the Health Department have issues accepting the representations of the community, no matter how cogently argued, surely, they would not dispute the census data provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics?
Fitzroy and Mylene Boulting,
Head Petitioners, Local Radiotherapy Services Petition,
Co-founders, ONE New L4 Eurobodalla Hospital Advocates
