Eight months after the review of the South East Regional Hospital (SERH), initiated by NSW Health, many of the key issues remain unresolved, say nurses.
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In an open letter from the nurses union, a number of matters including the hospital’s recruitment process, continuing education of graduate nurses, lack of nursing oversight and coordination in many of the hospital’s departments, and failing communications between nursing staff and management have been raised.
These concerns are reflected at Bombala Multi-Purpose Service, with a complaint from one woman who says that there is no-one rostered on at the hospital from Friday to Saturday.
However a Southern NSW Local Health District spokesperson said the Bombala Multi Purpose Service is supported by a visiting medical officer who works in the general practice surgery and in the MPS for part of the the week.
“Despite continuous recruitment efforts, SNSWLHD is yet to receive an application from a suitably qualified candidate for the permanent GP/VMO position.
“The health district has implemented a robust system allowing for people who present to Bombala MPS emergency department to be treated.
“On occasion the treating doctor who is physically located in Cooma or at South East Regional Hospital in Bega and communicating via video link will make a decision that for appropriate treatment to occur the patient will require transfer to either Cooma or South East Regional Hospital.”
NSWNMA stewards at SERH Rob Geary and Mark Bichard said the delays in recruiting staff were unacceptable.
“Sometimes it take months before an ad appears, then another couple of months after selection for the paperwork to come through.”
However, change is already underway at SERH according to recently appointed SNSWLHD chief executive Andrew Newton.