THE future of Bulli Hospital’s emergency department will be discussed at the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD) meeting on Monday.
The Save Bulli Emergency Department group (Save Bulli ED Group) has submitted a detailed report to the Board ahead of the meeting, arguing the case for the Bulli Emergency Department to stay open.
Save Bulli ED convenor Alison Fettell said there are many reasons why the community needs the Bulli ED.
“There are over 70,000 residents in the Northern Illawarra alone who need this service. And of concern to everyone in the Illawarra is the pressure on Wollongong Emergency Department. We think more services are needed in the Illawarra, not less, and a real difference could be made if ambulances were allowed to take suitable patients to Bulli,” she said.
“We met with the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District several times in the last few weeks and we think we’ve made some ground on the provision of services overnight.”
Ms Fettell said the community is strong on keeping the ED and much against renaming the service.
“Because we know very well that it’s not just about the name. It’s about the lack of accountability in these alternative models. As soon as you rename it, it drops off the ED network and there’s no assurance about what has to happen there – it will makes life easier for ISLHD but it won’t provide the regulated ED type services that the community requires and expects.”
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