A Daley Labor Government will deliver an additional $9 million to Coffs Harbour hospital – bringing the total investment into the facility to $203 million – as part of the Schools and Hospitals before Stadiums’ plan.
The additional Labor funding for Coffs Harbour hospital will go towards:
- Replacement of the dental X-ray machine, which has been broken for at least six months – forcing patients to go “private”; and
- Funding to deliver additional parking spaces to off-set the expected loss of 110 parking spaces under the current plan.
The overall improvements – costing $194 million – include:
- Expansion of the existing surgical and operating theatres;
- New theatres;
- A new short stay surgical unit;
- Orthopaedic and vascular unit;
- Ambulatory care area; and
- The expansion of community health.
The region has experienced substantial population growth over the last eight years and the needs of the hospital have been neglected.
NSW Labor leader Michael Daley made the announcement with Country Labor candidate for Coffs Harbour Tony Judge.
The Coffs Harbour announcement follows NSW Labor’s commitment to employ 5,500 more nurses and midwives; 1,500 more paramedics; 2,240 more cleaning, support personnel and allied health workers; and 250 more security staff to protect patients and health workers.
In an earlier announcement, NSW Labor committed to capping hospital parking fees for health workers at $10 per week – subject to current contracts ending.
Coffs Harbour hospital is under enormous pressure with its emergency department seeing about 40,000 patients a year. About one in five (21.9 per cent) of patients waited longer than four hours. Ten per cent of patients waited longer than seven hours and 48 minutes.
As of December 31, there are 1,797 patients waiting for elective surgery at Coffs Harbour hospital with the median wait for non-urgent elective surgery is 240 days with 10 per cent of patients waiting longer than 348 days.
In addition, in 2018, there were 1,058 babies born at Coffs Harbour hospital.
Built in 2001 under then Labor Premier Bob Carr and Dr Andrew Refshauge, it is a major referral hospital for the Coffs Network of the Mid North Coast Local Health District.
With 292 beds, its services include general medicine, surgery, day surgery, planned and emergency theatre service, coronary care (including coronary angiography unit), intensive care, obstetrics, paediatrics, 24-hour Emergency Department, oncology, palliative care, rehabilitation, stroke, acute renal dialysis, high dependency and mental health and an extensive range of outpatient clinics.
Country Labor candidate for Coffs Harbour Tony Judge said: “The mid-North Coast has been neglected by the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Party and taken for granted.”
“Unfortunately, the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Party have the wrong priorities. They want to splurge $2.2 billion on stadiums and refuse to listen to the community on their health and hospital needs – while NSW Labor will invest in health and hospital services.
“Coffs Harbour deserves world-class health and hospital services in their local community.”
