A Sydney West Area Health Service (SWAHS) spokesperson confirmed on Monday that a new doctor had started work in the hospital’s mental health unit.

“Her appointment, together with ongoing support by medical staff from Nepean has enabled all beds in the mental health unit to be opened,” the spokesperson said.

“The SWAHS mental health service is in the final stages of recruiting two more doctors to provide mental health care in the Blue Mountains mental health inpatient and community-based services.”

Confirmation of the reopening of the beds followed a politically-charged debate about Katoomba Hospital at the last council meeting.

Liberal Party councillor Fiona Creed moved that council write to the State Government and NSW Opposition expressing council’s “deep concern at the inability of the NSW Department of Health to operate the mental health unit at Katoomba Hospital at full capacity”.

But the motion was opposed by the three Labor Party councillors, who said Katoomba Hospital’s problems were caused by staffing issues, not a lack of funding or political will.

“This should not be a party political issue. This is a staffing issue and it is a very important one,” said Ward 4 Clr Mark Greenhill.

He targeted deputy mayor Janet Mays — a vocal hospital campaigner through her role with pressure group Hospital Equity and Access Lobby (HEAL) — for supporting the Liberal Party-initiated motion.

“Each time HEAL gets set for a photo opportunity we hear the gravid hum of swarms of Liberal shadow ministers flocking to the Mountains to get in on the action,” he said.

The link between the Liberal Party and HEAL was a “coalition of convenience, short on facts and high on rhetoric”, he said.

But the injection of political rhetoric was attacked by Greens Councillor Eleanor Gibbs who said she was “deeply, deeply concerned the issue had been politicised to this level”.

Clr Creed also defended the Liberal connection with HEAL, saying “at least the shadow minister comes to the area”.

“Where is (NSW health minister) Carmel Tebbutt?”

Clr Mays welcomed the reopening of the mental health unit beds but warned the community needed to remain vigilant over the hospital’s plight.

“If community advocates don’t keep the spotlight on — and I’m regularly attacked for keeping the spotlight on — these things just hang for a long, long time,” she said.