Comment
In news reporting, as with many walks of life and work, there is rarely time to rest on one’s laurels.
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In the media, no matter how huge a story is, there is rarely time to savour it.
A frantic eye must always remain pinned on what’s coming next.
Such is the case with the new Maitland Hospital, which the NSW Government announced late last week would be fully government-funded – a sharp departure from previous plans for a public private partnership (PPP) or of not-for-profit involvement.
It was welcome news for many in the Maitland community – but, as mentioned earlier, there is little time to sit back now.
While the government can be commended for exploring all possible options of funding, the next questions to come will likely revolve around what exact services the hospital will have - and how they’ll be impacted by the change to being fully government funded.
Cast your mind back to July 27 2017, when health minister Brad Hazzard championed a combination between state and not-for-profit involvement as being able to provide the most services for the burgeoning hospital.
“Under this arrangement, the NSW Government’s $450 million investment would be combined with substantial funds from the successful not-for-profit provider to ensure the people of Maitland get first-class public health services that go beyond anything the government alone could deliver,” he said.
Now let’s stress that a public hospital is what the vast majority of Maitland residents wanted. 25,000 signatures presented by Maitland MP Jenny Aitchison to parliament attest to that.
However, any loss of services because the hospital is fully government funded would be a tragedy for the Maitland community.
Maitland’s skyrocketing population means it’s hugely important that a range of services are accessible at the new facility.
It’s not as if they wouldn’t be used. If done with an eye to the future, it could see us become a hub of medical activity for a great swathe of regional NSW.
Likewise, it must be done with an eye on a population growing so fast that it’s dizzying.
With Maitland set to be home to more than 100,000 residents by 2036, a failure to accommodate our growing population, and the services they need, will lead to a tragic lack of value – both for the government and our community. - Lachlan Leeming