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Bundarra nurse recruitment on-track
23 October 2008
Hunter New England Health has reassured Bundarra residents that the Area Health Service is committed to maintaining services at Bundarra Community Health Centre (CHC).
Responding to questions raised during a public meeting held in Bundarra on Tuesday evening, McIntyre Cluster General Manager Lynne Shands said there are no plans to change the high quality care offered to the Bundarra community.
Following the death of Bundarra-based nurse Barbara Marsden in August 2008, Hunter New England Health is currently recruiting for a replacement nurse at Bundarra Community Health Centre.
“At present, services in Bundarra are supported by a local nurse with assistance from Inverell Community Health Centre when required. We are focused on maintaining the high standards of service offered at Bundarra Community Health Centre,” Ms Shands said.
The Bundarra Community Health Centre is currently operating two to three days a week, from 8.30am to 5pm.
“With the current service mix offered at the Community Health Centre, a Nurse Unit Manager is no longer an appropriate grading and we’re seeking an appropriately-skilled Registered Nurse to fill the vacancy at Bundarra,” Ms Shands said.
Inverell Community Health Manager Denise Grant (who attended Tuesday’s public meeting along with Ms Shands) reinforced to the community that visiting services such as Child and Family Health and Foot Care would continue as normal at Bundarra.
Hunter New England Health also gave a commitment to consider some of the suggestions made during Tuesday’s meeting, in relation to the community’s need for access to urgent health care after hours and on weekends.
“We’re committed to working with the community and local stakeholders such as NSW Ambulance Service, to find solutions ensure people have access to care when they require it, but the safety of HNE Health staff members is of paramount concern.
“The practice of sole nursing staff being called out in the middle of the night is not considered safe. Furthermore, if we put this type of after hours nursing service in place, it cannot be provided by one single person because it’s not sustainable when staff need to occasionally take a break,” Ms Shands said.
“However a number of constructive suggestions were put forward by the community in regard to accessing services after-hours, and we will be reviewing and outlining possible plans of action in response to the ideas raised,” Ms Shands said.
(HNE-1599)
Contact: Carisa Josephs
Phone: (02) 6767 7135 or 0428 106 183
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