Batemans Bay: Plans revealed for $20m Community Health Facility
New designs for a major health precinct in a south coast town set to lose its only emergency department have been revealed.
NSW
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New designs for a $20m health precinct have been revealed by the NSW Government for Batemans Bay, following the controversial plan to kill the town’s only emergency department.
The Batemans Bay Community Health facility is set for Pacific St, next to the existing hospital which will be closed when the $300m Eurobodalla Regional Hospital finishes construction in the late 2020s.
The new plans released by the state government showcase the state-of-the-art centre’s allied health services, child, youth and family services, women’s health, sexual health, community nursing and wound management, palliative care, Aboriginal health, community mental health, specialist outpatient clinics and pathology.
State member for Bega Dr Michael Holland has praised the designs, labelling the upcoming facility as needed.
“The latest designs give residents a detailed look at the new Community Health Facility which will support local staff and clinicians in providing the people of Batemans Bay with high-quality, integrated, community healthcare,” he said.
“As two major investments in our region, the Batemans Bay Community Health Centre and the new Eurobodalla Regional Hospital will be well equipped to support the health needs of the entire Eurobodalla Shire providing the community with access to a broader and higher level of specialist care.”
The $20m health facility comes in light of the looming closure of the Batemans Bay Hospital.
The closure – due to the upcoming Eurobodalla Regional Hospital 30km south – will leave Batemans Bay as the largest regional centre without an emergency department.
A petition was created by community group ‘Don’t Close the Batemans Bay Hospital’ and its leader Peter Ryan which received more than 17,500 signatures.
The petition was recently presented to parliament, albeit with no outcomes to keep the emergency department open.
Dr Holland previously said the hospital needed to close for staff to move to the new hospital and said the community health facility would be available for Batemans Bay residents.
However, Mr Ryan said the new facility was not enough.
“The urgent care clinic isn’t an emergency department, its essentially another bulk billed GP,” he said.
“Real emergencies will be sent to the new hospital.”
Regional Health Minister Ryan Park disagreed, saying the $20m facility would be a major asset for Batemans Bay.
“The NSW Government is committed to investing in health infrastructure to support better health outcomes for communities across the south coast,” he said.
“Staff, consumers, and the community have played a vital role in shaping the community health facility’s design, providing feedback on access for consumers and visitors, onsite parking, landscaped areas and connections to nature, as well as key elements that have been incorporated into the building design.”
Community members will have the opportunity to hear more about the Batemans Bay Community Health facility at drop-in sessions with the project team on Thursday, October 24 at the Batemans Bay Village Centre and Friday, October 25 at the Batehaven shops.
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Originally published as Batemans Bay: Plans revealed for $20m Community Health Facility
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