Fat, sick, dying
At last: Bass Coast Shire’s director of community and economic development Steve Piasente (left) and Cr Peter Paul finally get their hands on the Gippsland South Coast Service Plan and Model of Care.
WE South Gippslanders are an unhealthy lot.
Male suicide rates are high.
Unintentional injury rates for males and females are too.
Malignant cancer and cardiovascular disease are greater than the state average, with melanoma in males particularly prevalent.
Females in South Gippsland Shire have a high rate of kidney cancer, and males and females in Bass Coast Shire are marked by digestive disorders that reflect the rate of cirrohsis of the liver.
Chronic respiratory disease is high in Bass Coast males, as are endocrine and metabolic disorders.
More Bass Coast women have diabetes than the Victorian average, as do South Gippsland Shire men, while neonatal conditions for males in Bass Coast are high, possibly reflecting greater than average rates of circumcision.
Coupled with that are significant gaps in healthcare such as lack of specific acute and sub acute services, inadequate mental health services and an under supply of dementia specific residential care.
Demand for cancer services is growing.
There is a need for bariatric (obesity) care and there’s no high dependency unit for acute medical and more complex post surgical care, although the latter is to be addressed in a new Wonthaggi Hospital.
Most residential aged care hubs operate at a loss.
It’s not an encouraging picture.
And that could be why the State Department of Health has consistently refused to release a report into what should be done to provide better local services for our health needs.
Bass Coast Council had to lodge a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to get a copy – and pay $23.90 for the privilege.
It arrived in time for last Wednesday’s council meeting, just as the director of community and economic development Steve Piasente was preparing to go to VCAT; the next step in the FOI process.
The report has been at least four years in the making. It has taken two sets of consultants to prepare.
It recognises the area’s health needs pose “a major challenge for all parties”.
Called the Gippsland South Coast Service Plan and Model of Care report, it looks to the next 10 years.
Goals include enhancing emergency care services in the region, improving medical imaging, strengthening locally available mental health services and putting in the capital infrastructure that supports service development.
“A key objective is to significantly increase health services so people can be treated locally,” it states.
“Recruiting and retaining medical specialists and GPs is a first order priority.”
Gippsland Southern Health Service (GSHS) CEO Gary Templeton said the report is “very good for the sub region if we can make it work”.
He said the report shows overall support for the new Leongatha Memorial Hospital, which is on schedule for completion at the end of 2013.
The recommendations suggest provision of renal dialysis at both Wonthaggi and Leongatha and Mr Templeton said the new hospital will include the capacity for this.
While services provided by GSHS will remain similar, surgery at both Leongatha and Korumburra will be mostly day procedures.
Mr Templeton said theatre capacity at the new Leongatha hospital will greatly increase, with the current 26 square metre space being replaced by a “major theatre” of just under 50 square metres and “minor” one slightly smaller than that.
“Consulting areas will be significantly enlarged and be of a much better standard.”
Mr Templeton said the report suggests Korumburra Hospital has the capacity to much better cater to the health needs of the growing population of Nyora and Poowong, and the facility could also be used as a community rehabilitation hub. Urgent care could also be provided.
Leongatha’s new hospital will have three urgent care treatment cubicles and one resuscitation bay; replacing the current 30 square metre space. The report indicates a new Wonthaggi sub regional hospital could accommodate GP, ambulance, mental health, primary and community health care and other services in the one health precinct.
Wonthaggi is to be upgraded to sub regional status with, among others, chemotherapy, a high dependency unit, full range of birthing services including caesarean and specialist services in general medicine, cardiology, geriatrics, orthopaedics, gastroenterology and a strengthening of general surgery. Chemotherapy will continue at Leongatha.
Wonthaggi’s emergency medical capability and operating theatre capacity are to be increased, as is the capacity for teaching and training.
A “non interventional” diagnostic cardiology service is to be established there and the availability of specialist anaesthetics enhanced.
Inverloch could gain a single integrated primary care centre, serviced by GPs from South Gippsland and Bass Coast shires.
The report lists five priorities. Sadly for the people of Phillip Island, it does not include the reopening of Warley Hospital.
The priorities are:
• capital redevelopment of Leongatha Memorial Hospital and related services;
• expansion and development of Wonthaggi Hospital and related services;
• development of a health precinct at Foster;
• development of integrated primary care centres; and
• the technology necessary to support service integration.
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