AMA (NSW) welcomes major party pledges for Central Coast

AMA (NSW) is welcoming both major parties commitments to building health infrastructure on the Central Coast.

“The Central Coast is an area where health spending had been neglected for a long time under the previous State Government.

“I’m very happy to see both the Coalition and Labor making big infrastructure spending pledges for Central Coast hospitals this election,” AMA (NSW) President, Dr Saxon Smith, said.

“The important thing for both parties to remember is that infrastructure is good but improving hospital capacity is even better.

“Whichever party is elected, I hope that the next Government will make it a priority to work toward safe hospital occupancy.

“This will improve the quality of service that our state’s hospitals are able to provide on a range of fronts.

“For example, it means patients in the emergency department who need to be admitted can be clear of the ED faster.

“Statistics from the Bureau of Health Information have consistently shown that it is hospitals with high proportions of admitted patients who have the worst performance on the number of patients who leave emergency within four hours.

“This is largely because hospitals simply don’t have beds available in the wards to move people to from the ED,” Dr Smith said.

“Our emergency departments are seeing larger numbers of sicker patients arriving every year.

“Meanwhile, patients with less urgent illness and injury are decreasing in number.

“The best way to make sure our hospitals are prepared to care for the people who need urgent treatment is to improve hospital occupancy,” Dr Smith said.

Media contact: Lachlan Jones 0419 402 955