Despite this, authorities are still planning an upgraded Goulburn Base Hospital on the current location.

The draft Clinical Services Plan (CSP), released last week, puts it bluntly.

“The hospitals and health services in Goulburn have outgrown their physical infrastructure and are now outdated and unsuited to the delivery of contemporary health care,” it states.

“In particular, the Goulburn Base Hospital has a tightly packed campus overdue for redevelopment: the ageing, separately developed buildings do not provide an appropriate built environment for current clinical practice, nor an integrated service across the campus, nor a modern environment for staff. The hospital buildings do not comply with Australian Health Facility Guidelines.”

The report underpins planning for future health services but does not spell out the physical infrastructure needed. It will be used to develop a business plan later this year which will outline several options.

Medical opinion is split on whether Goulburn needs a new hospital on a Greenfield site or an upgraded one at the current location.

The NSW Nurses Association has long called for a new facility.

But the draft report drops a strong hint that a new hospital is warranted.

“Given the central role which Goulburn Base Hospital plays in the delivery of public health care to the local population, the current building stock does not allow the Local Health District to provide the best possible coordinated care locally, and one which is responsive to the changing needs of an ageing population with contemporary models of care.

“The existing stock has deteriorated beyond the level of cost effective refurbishment.”

Goulburn Health Service general manager Kerry Hort acknowledged the hospital’s aged infrastructure but appeared to leave open the possibility of a new site.

“To date the focus of planning has been on the future health care needs of the population,” she said.

“To enable the delivery of health care services, a range of options will be developed and tested to identify which will deliver the greatest benefits for the Goulburn community.

This is the next step in the planning process.”

The business case and options will soon be presented to government.

But both Goulburn MP Pru Goward and Mayor Geoff Kettle confirmed that planning so far had been for the current site. Cr Kettle said despite this, “nothing was off the table.”

He was briefed on the draft report with members of the Goulburn community consultation committee on Thursday night. Ms Hort and a member of Health Infrastructure delivered the presentation.

“Yes, there are shortcomings with the current site but it was just a ‘helicopter’ view of where the process is up to,” he said.

“For mine, it was very comprehensive and positive and I was buoyed by what was presented.”

He understood the process would be finalised by Christmas. Health Minister Jillian Skinner is currently reviewing the report.

Cr Kettle said he preferred the existing location due to the money already spent there. But a broader study on the cost effectiveness of this option still had to be completed.

The report found that clinical services split across three campuses – Goulburn Base, Bourke St and Community Health – compromised care, duplicated services and impacted on collaboration between staff. Medical records, for example, were often ‘triplicated’ between the campuses and Wi-Fi was not integrated.

Moreover, all of the buildings had “dysfunctional layouts” and staff lost time with the lack of parking at Goulburn Base.