No open date as questions remain over North West Regional Hospital hydrotherapy pool closure
Three years ago, the hydrotherapy pool at this major Tasmanian hospital closed for Covid-safe measures. It’s remained closed – and the state government won’t say why.
Tasmania
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The state government has not revealed when the all-abilities hydrotherapy pool at the North West Regional Hospital (NWRH) will be reopened.
The news comes as Labor and a former pool user have urged the government to reopen it to the public.
The hydrotherapy pool was closed in 2020 as a Covid-safe measure.
Allison Dooley lives with a disability and was a regular user of it before it was closed.
She has since tried three different hydrotherapy pools, but none have the same accessibility as the one at the NWRH.
“Hydrotherapy is the only party of my week that I feel strong, that I feel capable and feel party normal because in the water I’m equal,” Ms Dooley said.
“It gives me great pleasure to swim; it’s the highlight of my week.
“And because of someone’s bureaucratic, ridiculous decision, that was taken away from me but the other people who are missing out from attending this pool.”
Labor health spokesperson Anita Dow said the hydrotherapy pool at the NWRH needed to be reopened.
“It has been almost three years since the pool closed, and there is no reason why the pool should not start servicing the community’s needs now,” Ms Dow said.
“It is incredibly difficult to provide rehabilitation, pain management, or to promote physical activity to the whole community if there are no opportunities for people to access an all-abilities warm water therapy pool.
“While there are other warm pools available across the North West Coast, they are not suitable to cater to the wide-ranging needs of the community, including students at the North West Support School’s Burnie campus.”
A Department of Health spokesman did not say when the hydrotherapy pool at the NWRH would reopen.
“Physiotherapy staff in the North-West continue to deliver a range of off-site prescribed aquatic physiotherapy services, and this will continue for patients requiring this service,” he said.
“Tasmanians can access hydrotherapy facilities at Burnie, Wynyard and Devonport.”
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Originally published as No open date as questions remain over North West Regional Hospital hydrotherapy pool closure
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