What the community thinks about the new Northern Beaches Hospital in Frenchs Forest
Since opening in October, there has been a storm of controversy regarding the Northern Beaches Hospital. You have heard from the staff, the politicians and operator Healthscope. Now the community has had it’s say through a series of letters.
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Since opening in October, there has been a storm of controversy regarding the Northern Beaches Hospital. You have heard from the staff, the politicians and operator Healthscope. Now the community has had it’s say through a series of letters to the Manly Daily.
DOING THEIR BEST
A LOT of letters have complained about the Northern Beaches Hospital. My wife was admitted by ambulance to the NBH on November 13 in a very ill condition.
She was quickly attended to by a doctor and nurses, blood samples, X-ray and CT scan all done and the problem diagnosed. Sadly, it was too late for my wife, who passed away on November 16.
I am sure the doctor and the nurses did all they could and I would like to thank them all. Some people may have reason to complain but I do not. Thank you, NBH.
Colin Pogson, Allambie Heights
GONE FOR THE DOCTOR
I WAS amazed to read Health Minister Brad Hazzard (MD Dec 5) telling the doctors at the Northern Beaches Hospital to get on with the job they are paid quite well for.
May I suggest that if the Health Minister and his staff did their jobs properly in the first place, which they are all paid quite well for, so as to ensure that Healthscope was in a position to open the hospital on October 30, the good doctors and nursing staff wouldn’t need to express any concerns.
Who was responsible for opening NBH on October 30 before the hospital was ready and therefore putting patients health at risk, the government or Healthscope?
If the Health Minister believes there was nothing out of the ordinary with the hospital’s troubled start, why did the hospital’s CEO and medical director resign?
David Thorpe, Freshwater
WHEN EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN
The decision to build the Northern Beaches Hospital demonstrates the government’s belief that a new hospital is better than an old one. This is demonstrably wrong.
The perfect example is St Vincent’s Hospital, Darlinghurst, which opened in 1870 on its current site. The original hospital building is still in use, soon to celebrate its 150th anniversary of serving the people of Sydney.
On the original site there is now a public hospital, a private hospital, a palliative care hospice and several clinic buildings which cater to a huge range of specialisations, a world leader in many areas.
The flourishing, modern hospital offers leading medical services to people from Sydney, country areas and overseas in a very dense part of Sydney with no room to expand, quite a contrast to the situation at Mona Vale.
Why was Mona Vale Hospital not maintained and equipped like St Vincent’s to continue to serve the needs of this local community?
A share of the $600 million spent on the new hospital would have gone a long way to allow the facilities at Mona Vale to be refurbished and new equipment purchased.
Instead, we have a hospital where the CEO and anaesthetists have resigned. Other staff are unhappy and are concerned that patients’ needs are not being given priority.
Does the State Government have an imperative other than excellent medical care for the people of the peninsula? Perhaps those pioneers who established a free hospital and have always focused on patient care have a different motivation from that of our State Government?
Penelope Kerr, Avalon Beach
FAULTLESS TREATMENT BY NEW HOSPITAL STAFF
I WANT to say a big thank you to all the nurses, doctors and other staff at the new Northern Beaches Hospital.
I took my 13-year-old son to Emergency on Monday morning (Nov 26) (medical centre doesn’t open until 10am?) and was seen and admitted as a public patient to Paediatric Emergency.
The staff were amazing and the treatment we received was above and beyond despite other issues occurring in the hospital. My son Jack (right) needed his appendix removed and this was done that evening and I stayed overnight.
The staff in children’s ward and theatre were professional, reassuring and sometimes entertaining.
I could not fault our day/night stay and this is due to the level of care from the staff we came into contact with. With all the negativity and issues surrounding the NBH, there needs to be attention on the fabulous staff getting on with their job in the best way possible.
The hospital is shiny and new and filled with the latest technology but it’s the staff that need to be thanked and acknowledged.
Suellen Dennehy, Narraweena
FORGIVING ATTITUDE
Recently my doctor suggested I have his required tests done at the NB Hospital.
After three years of noisy, dusty chaos, I felt quite excited. It was “payback: time.
The concierge had someone escort me to imaging, where, after recording my details, I was offered the opportunity of “being seen today”. Wow!
One hour later, after ultrasound and CT scan were completed (by friendly and obliging staff), I was assured my doctor would receive reports the same day and was again shown all the way back to concierge. No Hansel and Gretel crumbs required here.
Same week, a visit to specialist suites on the sixth floor. The rooms with the extensive views.
The specialist confirmed the excellence of NBH, even though it is still ironing out early problems.
On the feedback form I requested from front desk, I wrote a glowing report on the exceptional attention I had received in this magnificent facility. Hopefully a pleasant change from the reams of negatives thrown at this state-of-the-art hospital we have been gifted with.
Remember back to our newborns’ first three months of life. Yes, lots of teething problems but we adored them and forgave.
Coralie Rose, Frenchs Forest
EMERGENCY HELP
The experience of Suellen Dennehy (Your say Dec 5) at the Northern Beaches Hospital is great to hear.
The fact that her son was seen, admitted and operated on, on the same day, proves to me that if I was experiencing something that was a real emergency, as in life- threatening, I would want to be at a hospital.
Those folk wanting the ED at Mona Vale to be reinstated should remember that if the condition is serious they will be admitted to hospital anyway, so get it done straight away and don’t tie up ambulance resources with unnecessary journeys.
Patrick Hennessy, North Narrabeen
WE SHOULD BE SO LUCKY
How lucky are we to live on the northern beaches, with the harbour on one end, Pittwater on the other, then all those beaches.
We have the excellent B1 bus every 10 minutes and the view from the top deck is outstanding.
Now we have the state-of-the-art new hospital with all the modern facilities, allowing some with major illness or injuries having to be transported to Royal North Shore.
We are just so lucky.
John Randall, Mona Vale
SUPPORT THE STAFF
With all the negative input regarding the new Northern Beaches Hospital, I would like to say that after two consecutive weekend visits (with two different daughters), I was struck by the dedication and willingness of the medical staff we encountered.
My daughter attended emergency and was kept in a ward overnight and the service and attentiveness from staff was second to none.
Having watched the progress (and problems) of the new Royal Adelaide Hospital since it opened a few years ago, there are bound to be teething problems and all we can do now is support the hardworking staff, hope that Healthscope get everything together and think positively for now and the future.
Sue Maloney, Curl Curl
The Northern Beaches Hospital is in the electorate of Minister Hazzard. No wonder he is promoting it and downplaying the “shambles”.
Mona Vale Hospital (a shadow of its former self) is in the electorate of Rob Stokes. Oops! Ah well, he can look after himself.
The Liberal Party is fairly confident that he will be re-elected anyway.
Sue Barsi, Narrabeen
Staff at the Northern Beaches Hospital were forced to sign contracts threatening instant dismissal to anyone who spoke out against the hospital. This would be the reason there has been so little comments from the very disgruntled staff.
A prime example of the appalling staffing levels: the birthing unit has only three staff allocated for the night shifts in a 12-bed unit.
This has been the case since the opening and still not been rectified despite the pleas of staff. This dangerous situation is putting mothers and babies at risk and challenging the physical and mental health of the overworked staff. It should be 1:1 care for all labouring women.
Apparently the union can do nothing for their members as they only deal with State industrial matters and the hospital is under Federal Government as a private hospital.
Ainslie Birrell, North Manly
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