A NURSES representative body thought all their Christmases had come at once yesterday.
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While not favouring one party’s commitment over another, NSW Nurses and Midwives Association secretary Jane Cotter was just pleased Goulburn Base Hospital was being noticed.
“Yes, everything does make you sceptical when it’s announced so close to an election,” she said.
“But Goulburn has never really rated before or hit the news. All of a sudden we’re in the news and it’s been really great for the hospital.”
Mrs Cotter said the Association had no preferred position on whether it should be an upgrade/rebuild on the existing site or a greenfield location.
“We need to leave that to the proper planners but I do know that the doors are not wide enough for equipment and the walls are narrow. It’s just a poor old hospital,” she said.
“Whether they knock it down and build on this site or go somewhere else I don’t know, but we need more than a refurbishment. You can’t do much more with in the space of those walls. It’s just not big enough. You would have to redo it but $120m would still go a long way, $270m is even better. It’s one upmanship and that’s fine.”
But the Association had not been directly consulted by the political parties. Some consultation by management and Health Infrastructure has occurred.
This has not extended to whether it should be an upgrade or a completely new development.
Mrs Cotter said regardless of which option was chosen, authorities must commit to reasonable nurse to patient ratios, on which the Association had campaigned.
“You can have the most whiz bang hospital but if you don’t have the staff, there’s no point,” she said.
Other members yesterday said it was essential any new facility was given more nurses.