Southwest Sydney hospital inquiry: Aerotropolis to put staff, services under pressure
As part of a public inquiry, Sydney’s busiest hospitals will be put under the microscope to see if they will be able to cope with the massive population growth that will come with the Western Sydney Aerotropolis development.
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Desperate hospital staff in Sydney’s south west have revealed current health services will not be able to meet with future demand the Western Sydney Aerotropolis will bring as population forecasts skyrocket.
The fear for the future of south west Sydney hospitals — which already serve close to one million people — comes as the NSW Upper House announce a public inquiry into the future of the regions health services.
Hospitals to be examined under the inquiry include Bankstown-Lidcombe, Camden, Campbelltown, Fairfield and Liverpool.
NSWNMA general secretary, Brett Holmes said southwest Sydney hospital staff were concerned about the increase in demand expected from massive population increases.
“Safe staffing remains a widespread issue throughout public hospitals in South Western Sydney,” Mr Holmes told NewsLocal.
”Emergency department nurses at Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital have had reoccurring understaffing issues.
“Poor skills mix has also contributed to a high turnover of nurses and unexpected leave not being replaced, prompting excessive workloads for the remaining nurses.”
Mr Holmes said staffing and bed block issues have also been raised in the recovery unit at Bankstown, due to lengthy stays by theatre patients.
“Safe midwifery staffing is an ongoing issue for our members across the Campbelltown and Camden maternity services,” he said.
“We’ve had a campaign underway highlighting our concerns with hospital management, South Western Sydney Local Health District and also the Minister for Health.
“Recruitment to fill some vacant midwifery positions has since been prioritised however, we continue to hold concerns about non-midwives being counted within the service’s maternity staffing system, Birthrate Plus.”
Work health and safety concerns regarding the layout of inpatient mental health units at Campbelltown Hospital have also been raised.
“This is a small indication of some of the current issues underway in South Western Sydney,” he said. “To ensure our public hospitals meet the demands of the growing population, significant investment is urgently required in safe staffing in the form of minimum nurse-to-patient ratios.”
Inquiry chair, Greg Donnelly MLC, said the south west was set to grow at a faster rate compared to the rest of the Sydney basin.
“This will be accelerated by the delivery of the Western Sydney Aerotropolis, which will brings jobs, new homes and more people to the region,” he said.
“This inquiry provides a timely forum to consider whether investment in health services and infrastructure in the South-West Sydney growth region is keeping up with current and projected population growth.”
The inquiry will examine whether or not South-West Sydney hospitals will be capable of meeting health services demands to 2050 — identifying the current demand on mental health services, as well as community and preventive programs.
A saving-grace, in the form of a university and working hospital, to be built within the Western Sydney Aerotropolis, was announced by Philadelphia International Medicine and the World Trade Centre Sydney yesterday.
The hospital and university will be developed as part of World Trade Centre Sydney’s $15 billion smart city project, which will feature four high rise World Trade Centre towers, International Convention and Exhibition Centre, Innovation and Incubation Centre and hundreds of homes by 2026.
World Trade Centre Chief executive, Jomon Varghese said the facility will be “world-class”.
“The university hospital will bring state of the art services from 10 internationally renowned health organisations including Fox Chase Cancer Centre, Willis Eye Hospital, Rothman Orthopaedics, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children and Magee Rehabilitation Hospital to Western Sydney,” he said.
A NSW Health Infrastructure Spokesman said $2.9 billion worth of health projects were underway or planned in south west Sydney including the new Bankstown Hospital, Liverpool Health and Academic Precinct, Campbelltown Hospital Redevelopment and Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital Emergency Department redevelopment.