GWAHS insists ‘no children policy’ is in draft form only
Wednesday November 26, 2008
Greater Western Area Health Service (GWAHS) representatives are insisting a policy which would stop children being treated at Cobar Hospital is still in draft form.
Member for Barwon Kevin Humphries last week raised concerns about the policy, which he said will reduce paediatric care at 17 hospitals in the region (including Cobar), forcing families to travel to Dubbo for basic hospital care of children.
According to the policy, the hospitals would still be able to provide emergency care and “short-term definitive” care as well as stabilisation prior to transfer for children.
A GWAHS spokesperson told The Cobar Weekly on Friday the policy has gone no further than draft form at this stage.
“Dr Claire Blizard, the chief executive of GWAHS recognises the difficulties in implementing such a policy across rural NSW and has engaged the expertise of Dr Alan Kerrigan, Director of the Maternal, Child and Family Health Network to ensure there is extensive clinician consultation and involvement before the policy is finalised,” a GWAHS statement said.
“It is the first stage in a collaborative consultative process which will involve extensive clinician consultation and the community will be involved,” the statement said.
Mr Humphries described the policy as “devastating” for rural hospitals.
“What is being proposed represents a significant shift away from current practice and will adversely affect the care of children in GWAHS,” he said.
Mr Humphries described it as “another basic service ripped out of our communities”.
“With the Dubbo health service currently at crisis point, I question how Dubbo Base Hospital would cope with the influx of paediatric admissions,” he said.
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