CALLS for Tomaree Hospital to be upgraded to a Level 3 facility were front and centre when Port Stephens residents gathered at Soldiers Point Golf Club to discuss the future of local healthcare.
The community meeting, hosted by Kevin Lynch and Member for Port Stephens Kate Washington MP, gave locals the chance to raise concerns about hospital services, staffing, specialist care and the pressure an ageing population is placing on the health system.
Ms Washington said one of her priorities was seeing Tomaree Hospital reclassified from Level 2 to Level 3.
“The hospital is already doing more than its classification recognises,” Ms Washington said.
While Tomaree already has CT and X-ray facilities, Ms Washington said an upgrade to Level 3 would better reflect the services being provided and support the case for increased staffing, diagnostic services and ongoing resources.
Finding enough health workers to staff those services remains a challenge.
One resident asked about the difficulty of attracting healthcare workers to the peninsula when affordable housing is in short supply.
Ms Washington described housing as the ‘biggest barrier’ to attracting health workers to the area.
Another resident asked whether dialysis could be offered at Tomaree, saving local patients having to travel for treatment.
Ms Washington said health officials had advised a local dialysis service was unlikely at this stage because of the shortage of specialist staff.
There was some good news: 43 additional paramedics have been deployed across Port Stephens.
Tomaree has also gained a Nurse Practitioner position and an additional nurse per shift, while $250,000 has been secured for a Rapid Access Zone room.
Mr Lynch said Tomaree was part of a wider health network, with patients requiring higher levels of care transferred to Maitland or John Hunter hospitals.
Locals are also doing their bit to support the hospital.
The Tomaree Community Hospital Auxiliary has raised around $80,000 for hospital equipment and is now working towards another $20,000 to purchase specialised cots.
The auxiliary will hold a fundraising luncheon on 16 September to help reach its target.
By Althea GUINSBERG
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