New Maitland Hospital Under Fire from Labor

BY TYLER FARDELL

The new Maitland hospital to be built at Metford has had a rocky road already and now the NSW State opposition is threatening to scrap the plans for the hospital.

Shadow Health Minister Walt Secord said in parliament yesterday they would discontinue the hospital's plans if they were elected.

The calls have angered many in the region, including Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot Macdonald.

"I'm very concerned about this", he said. "They've injected a new level of uncertainty and possible delay into the project".

Mr Macdonald has called upon the Opposition leader Luke Foley to stand Mr Secord aside, saying he represents a real risk to health infrastructure.

"It is simply a disaster for Maitland and demonstrates again, the opposition will put politics before health and the community every time".

Hon Walt Secord

NSW Government Rules Out Moving Site Of Proposed Lower Hunter Hospital

BY IAN CROUCH

Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter, Scot MacDonald says it's too late to consider moving the site of the proposed Lower Hunter Hospital at Metford.

There's still no word on when construction of the $400 million facility will begin.

Cessnock City Council last week passed a motion to hold talks with the government in a bid to move the site to a location along the Hunter Expressway, believing a hospital built there would better serve the Hunter Valley, Cessnock and Maitland.

Maitland MP, Jenny Aitchison would not support the idea, saying there's npow quick access for coalfields residents to the John Hunter Hospital via the Hunter Expressway and the Metford site would better serve the valley as well as the Port Stephens and Dungog shires.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter, Scot MacDonald says the government has already spent millions on acquiring the land and pre-construction planning, and there's no turning back now.

"We're certainly interested to hear why the council thinks it should be moved and we're certainly interested in what other ideas they might have. But it's very difficult once you acquire the site, once the plans are under way, the consultation with clinical staff has begun. So, there's a lot of planning work. We've already spent several millions of dollars," he said.

Scott McDonald

Maitland MP Rejects Call To Shift Hospital Site

BY IAN CROUCH

Maitland MP, Jenny Aitchison is rejecting calls to move the site of the proposed Lower Hunter Hospital from Metford to Kurri Kurri.

Cessnock Council will consider a motion from Liberal Councillor Paul Dunn tonight to locate the hospital within the grounds of the former Hydro Aluminium Smelter, believing it's a better site to service the entire Hunter Valley.

However, Jenny Aitchison says the Hunter Expressway has made travel to the John Hunter Hospital much faster for Cessnock residents and Metford should remain the preferred site.

"When you're looking at the Metford site for Maitland Hospital, it's around serving not just Maitland, not just Kurri, not just Cessnock and further up the valley that way, but it's also to the north-east where you've got Port Stephens, Raymond Terrace and Dungog," she said.

Maitland MP, Jenny Aitchison

New Maitland Hospital Goes Back To The Drawing Board

BY IAN CROUCH

The state's new health minister is backing away from the proposed public private partnership to build and operate the new Maitland Hospital at Metford.

Brad Hazzard has decided to go back to the drawing board, 7 months after the government announced the $400-million hospital would operate under a Public Private Partnership.

He's told the Herald the project needs more money as the current plans won't cater for Maitland's growing population, saying all options are back on the table.

He said former Health Minister, Jillian Skinner had allocated $200 million - which would provide a hospital but not one which is needed for a growing population.

However, he doesn't want to see the project delayed, saying one of the options could be having the private sector build the hospital but not actually run it.


He says while he's pushing hard to build the hospital as soon as possible, it would not be treating patients for about five years.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard

Health Minister Disputes Claims Over Bed Numbers At New Maitland Hospital

BY IAN CROUCH

 Health Minister, Jillian Skinner has dismissed speculation the proposed Lower Hunter Hospital at Metford will be much smaller than first thought.

A leaked Health Infrastructure briefing note claims the hospital will only have 282 beds based on projected demand by 2022, while the state opposition claims it will only have 220 beds.

But Jillian Skinner says this is not the case.

"I said it will be at least as big as what we proposed and I think we proposed 350 to 400 and it will be at least that, I would expect, but possibly more. So, the nonsense that the local member is talking about 220 beds is just that," she said.

Health Minister Jillian Skinner

New Maitland Hospital To Be Built And Run Under Public Private Partnership

BY IAN CROUCH AND GARY-JON LYSAGHT

 The state government is defending the public private partnership announced for the new Maitland  Hospital at Metford.

Scot MacDonald

Expressions of interest are being sought from the private sector to build and operate the hospital, with the government saying this will help to fast-track the $400 million facility.

Shadow Health Minister, Walt Secord fears it could lead to a two-tiered Americanised hospital system which would disadvantage the most vulnerable.

But Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter, Scot MacDonald says public patients will still receive free treatment under Medicare at the new hospital.

"We have very clear standards across the country, not just NSW; that the Commonwealth provides the Medicare system and everybody will continue to have access to that," he said

It doesn't matter what your life circumstances are, doesn't matter where you live, you will have access to the emergency department and all those other services."

The decision has been questioned by Labor, who have asked about the future of beds at the Metford site.

Maitland MP Jenny Aitchison says the Government "refuses to answer any questions on beds".

"We have originally had a promise that it would be a John Hunter-ish sized hospital.  So that's around 630 beds," she said.

"The next reiteration was at around 400.  The minister can't even commit to that number."

"Are we even going to get any new beds out of this deal?"

However, Scot MacDonald has said the design of the new hospital is not based "on the old formula, if you like, of number of beds".

"We'll very much be guided by what the physicians ask for and what the community wants and the community of the Lower Hunter is different to the John Hunter Hospital."

"That community has different needs."