SAVE Bulli Hospital Emergency Department Group (Save Bulli ED Group) has received a letter from Federal Minister for Health Tanya Plibersek praising the threatened Bulli Hospital emergency department.

The Save Bulli ED group wrote to Ms Plibersek and Federal MP for Cunningham Sharon Bird seeking ongoing funding for Bulli Hospital emergency department, which is under threat of being downgraded.

Save Bulli ED group convenor Alison Fettell said the group wants to assist the local health district to secure appropriate funding to maintain and upgrade the Bulli Emergency Department.

Ms Plibersek’s response includes a handwritten note saying:

“PS I had to visit Bulli Hospital myself with Anna (her daughter) as a toddler when we were on holidays down your way. They did a terrific job!”

Ms Fettell said Ms Plibersek’s response about the ‘terrific’ care provided at Bulli ED just adds further support to the community’s call not to downgrade Bulli’s ED.

“Bulli ED is an essential part of the Illawarra emergency services, taking the pressure off Wollongong and offering a shorter wait time when residents have less serious conditions,” she said.

“Proper utilisation of Bulli ED will take pressure off hospitals across the Illawarra. The emergency doctors and nurses at Bulli are great with kids and they handle a range of unexpected but less complex health crises for Illawarra residents and their families, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

Ms Plibersek’s response, sent back to the group via Ms Bird, includes the statement that ‘hospital service planning remains the responsibility of the NSW Government’.

The Bulli ED group has provided the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD) with a detailed submission in response to its draft Health Care Services Plan.

The submission follows the NSW Government disolving the planning powers to the Local Health Districts.

The ISLHD Board meets on October 8 and the Save Bulli ED group has offered to be part of formal discussions once the board has had the opportunity to consider the submission, Ms Fettell said.