Hydrotherapy pool users want their access returned

After a review by authorities, they had been denied access to the pool which many had used for years to stay healthy.

And, despite promises from the chief executive of the local health district that she was "actively investigating" alternative access, no progress had been made.

Yesterday, however, came some light at the end of the tunnel. In a letter, the acting general manager of the hospital, Karen Arblaster, pledged to set up a consultative committee to find ways to give the disgruntled users access to the pool once again.

The hydrotherapy pool, which was constructed partly on the back of community fundraising, has long been used by people with a range of health issues, from arthritis to back pain to other chronic conditions which left them unable to exercise on land.

But last year, Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District decided to review the programs. It said growing demand meant it needed to cater for more clinically supervised sessions.

The review ended the popular "Waves" and aquarobics programs and those who did self-directed exercise - rather than medically supervised - were excluded.

The hospital called a meeting about the issue last week. More than 50 people turned up, most expecting to hear of plans to allow them to again use the pool.

Instead, they were given a PowerPoint presentation on how many people had been assessed under the new system and how many more supervised places had become available.

Those in the audience did not hear what they wanted to hear - anything about letting them back in.

Many told of how beneficial the pool had been. Helen Pellow from Blackheath said it was only because of the pool exercise that she had managed to stay out of the hospital system.

"It is a hydrotherapy pool, not just a physiotherapy pool," she said. "Individuals and groups who need hydrotherapy used the pool happily for many years, along with hospital physiotherapy patients. Now I have no security that I can keep accessing essential therapy and the pool seems close to empty a lot of the time.

"What policy change or funding cut has taken the pool away from the community who helped build it - and from people who just want to take care of their health?"

John Ekin of Leura, who helped fundraise for the pool, was among many who said it was now often half empty or vacant.

"The reasons given for not allowing existing patients to use the hydrotherapy pool just do not add up and I would suggest there is room for all," he said.

Mr Ekin said it appeared the hospital was taking over the pool exclusively for its own use.

"This is not the basis on which we, as citizens of the Blue Mountains community, donated considerable funds for a hydrotherapy pool to be built."

Gai Sheridan, from Wentworth Falls, said people with chronic conditions and the disabled needed longer-term access to the pool.

"Our conditions are not 'cured' with a six-week program. But it is these groups of chronic condition users that the physiotherapy department has sought to remove from longer-term access," she said.

She called on the hospital to establish and work with a consultative committee of pool users.

Ms Arblaster promised just that in her letter yesterday.

"We heard from you about your concerns [which] include feeling that there has been inadequate consultation and communication about the changes, anxiety about being able to access a suitable hydrotherapy pool in the future, and about the processes of assessment and time-limited therapy that have been instituted.

"Having listened to your concerns, we are now working to establish a consumer consultative committee and a broader community reference group."

Ms Arblaster said she would advertise for members of the committee in the Gazette and through emails to the users.

Blue Mountains MP, Trish Doyle, who had been contacted by many unhappy former pool users, said she was relieved to hear of the consultative committee.

Mr Ekin said: "I think things are moving along well."