Surgical services at Springwood Hospital are under threat by bureaucratic changes being considered by the local health service.
The Gazette understands a new surgical requirement for x-ray and pathology services to be provided at the hospital would put gynaecology, urology, and ear, nose and throat procedures at risk.
Local medical staff fear the proposal is a deliberate obstacle aimed at downgrading surgical services at the hospital.
The Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District stopped short of guaranteeing surgical services at the hospital on June 26, with a spokesperson saying only that “no final decisions have been made and we will assess all services carefully and consult widely before any decisions are reached”.
Radiology and pathology services are currently available off-site in Springwood, which local clinicians believe meet existing NSW health department guidelines.
About 60 patients a month currently undergo day surgery at Springwood Hospital.
“They are struggling to get waiting lists down [now]. Why would you want to remove surgery from Springwood?” said one medical source.
Blue Mountains MP Trish Doyle warned the mooted changes could represent “a case of death-by-a-thousand-cuts” for the hospital.
“If a hospital ceases to provide surgical procedures, is it still a hospital?” she asked.
The MP questioned the need to change surgical requirements at the hospital.
“Springwood Hospital is all of a sudden expected to provide radiology services on-site in order to retain its accreditation for surgical services and general anaesthesia. To my knowledge, it has not had a radiology service on-site for more than 10 years, and the specialist procedures available at Springwood generally have no need for day-to-day radiology,” she said.
“In the rare instances where these patients require medical imaging services, doctors at Springwood Hospital have organised it in advance or referred them to Nepean Imaging in the main street of Springwood.”
Ms Doyle said “if the hospital must meet certain requirements for accreditation, then let’s invest in its equipment and its resources. The solution should not be to wind it down altogether.”
Responding to Gazette inquiries the Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District spokesperson said: “We have begun consultation with doctors and theatre staff from Springwood Hospital and local consumer groups, including the Friends of Springwood Hospital, to consider how surgical services can be best delivered across Blue Mountains and Springwood Hospitals.
“Our core focus is ensuring the delivery of safe, high quality care to our patients.”
