Healthe Care says staff and patients of the Bega Valley Private Hospital are being looked after following news of its closure.
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The facility will close its doors on Friday, June 29, with owners pointing to low patient numbers and ageing equipment as factors affecting viability.
Responding to queries from Fairfax Media, Healthe Care said while some staff will retire, up to 15 permanent and casual nursing and administrative staff will seek other employment.
“Hospital management is in discussions with the Southern NSW Local Health District and South East Regional Hospital to fast track and facilitate any applications wherever possible,” a spokeswoman said.
As for how many patients are affected by the closure, Healthe Care said hospital management advised all doctors immediately on confirmation of the closure, so no further patient bookings were made.
However, “there are approximately 70 existing patient bookings through to September 2018, and doctors are making alternative arrangements directly with their patients”.
A spokesperson for the SNSWLHD said, where appropriate, private hospital staff would be offered casual employment at the SERH.
“And we welcome applications for permanent positions through normal recruitment processes,” they said.
“Private patients are asked to speak with their surgeons in the first instance as we work to reschedule surgery procedures.”
NSW Shadow Health Minister Walt Secord said the closure of Bega Valley Private Hospital this Friday will result in more patients reporting “to the already overstretched” SERH for assistance, or find alternative arrangements at Wollongong, Canberra or Sydney.
“For too long, Andrew Constance has ignored the problems facing patients on the Far South Coast,” Mr Secord said.
“This is the last thing that South East Regional Hospital needs. Waits for elective surgery will only grow.”
Labor's candidate for Bega Leanne Atkinson said “this is a health and hospital system under enormous pressure with patients suffering”.
“Health on the Far South Coast lurches from crisis to crisis. This will only mean longer waits for patients. It also means that hard working staff will be under more pressure,” she said.
South East Regional Hospital in Bega is already one of the most over-stretched hospitals in NSW.
The latest Bureau of Health Information data released in early June shows that the waits for elective surgery were still among the longest in the state. The median wait for elective surgery at SERH was 206 days, and 10 per cent of patients waited 368 days – a year – for elective surgery.
Currently, there are 825 patients on the elective surgery waiting list at SERH. This was an increase from 756 a year ago - for the same period (January- March 2017).
Of the 825 patients, there are 430 for orthopaedic surgery; 214 for total knee replacements; 85 for cataract surgery; and 66 for hip replacements.
Furthermore, they faced lengthy waits for elective surgery. The median wait for orthopaedic surgery was 206 days; cataract removal - 180 days; total knee replacement - 248 days; and hip replacement - 246 days.
“Due to the appearance of more patients, the waits will only grow,” Mr Secord said.
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