Hospital to cost $200M
Farewell: surgeon Dr Ron Murley is thanked for his six years of service to Wonthaggi Hospital by Bass Coast Regional Health board chair Jeff Bennett and CEO Lea Pope.
THE entire new Wonthaggi Hospital comes with a current price tag of $200 million.
In the end it will cost more than that because it will be built in stages.
The hospital is set to become a sub regional hub.
The total became available when the site’s master plan was completed recently.
Bass Coast Regional Health (BCRH) CEO Lea Pope mentioned the figure during her report delivered to the 102nd annual general meeting last Wednesday evening.
She said later, “The figure is really only useful to give a general idea of the magnitude of the redevelopment that is required on the site over time.”
It will begin next year with the construction of a new community rehabilitation centre incorporating a public dental clinic.
Ms Pope told the meeting rising costs and limited funds created an ongoing challenge for the health service which has posted a 2011-12 operating deficit of $1.882m.
She said the focus this fiscal year, will be operational efficiency and reducing the “very high” ambulance transfer costs of $1.408m.
In his annual report, health service board chair Jeff Bennett said BCRH had one of the highest patient transfer rates in the state.
“We want more people to be treated and cared for locally,” lamenting there were not enough resources to cater for all patients.
Mr Bennett said a record number of patients had been treated in Wonthaggi Hospital and there had been a 5.3 per cent hike in those attending its emergency department.
“It’s often stretched to the limit.”
Ms Pope said three fellows from the College of Emergency Medicine now visit twice a week to try to reduce the pressure on staff.
Mr Bennett stressed financial sustainability was paramount but quality “cannot be compromised”.
Later, Ms Pope said efficiency gains are being sought in the district nursing service but scotched Australian Nursing Federation figures of a cut of 108 nursing hours a week.
Ms Pope said efficiency gains are sought because BCRH district nursing service times are far longer than other similar services. She said a reduction of 40 hours and the redeployment of 1.6 effective full time nurses is more likely.
Palliative care will not change.
Both Ms Pope and Mr Bennett thanked staff, donors, volunteers and the ladies auxiliary which has raised more than $15,000 in the past year.
Ms Pope told the annual meeting 7900 acute inpatients were treated at Wonthaggi Hospital in 2011-12 and there were more than 80,000 occasions of service. There were 205 births, down from last year’s 224 and at the other end of the life cycle demand for geriatric services was strong.
BCRH’s total revenue for 2011-12 was $43,589m.
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