HUNTER New England Health (HNE Health) has set a date to discuss the closure of the Nita Reed Community Dialysis Centre in Taree.
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Greater Taree City Council mayor Paul Hogan will meet on December 2 with HNE Health chief executive Michael DiRienzo and HNE Health director of acute services Todd McEwan to discuss the decision of HNE Health to close the centre and relocate the dialysis chairs to Forster Private Hospital in 2015.
Cr Hogan will seek to secure answers from Mr DiRienzo and Mr McEwan about the methodology and processes used by HNE Health to determine that the centre should close.
Officially HNE Health placed a hold on the project in late October in the wake of increasing demands for answers from patients, their families and now, the broader Manning Valley community.
Cr Hogan welcomed the HNE Health decision to hit pause on the plan but since that time has repeatedly stated that "a hold is not a stop on the decision" and has been dogged in his efforts to secure a meeting with HNE Health and Manning Hospital general manager, Tricia Bulic.
On Wednesday he welcomed the email from Mr DiRienzo that set a date for face-to-face discussions with him.
"I'm looking forward to it," Cr Hogan said.
"However, I am also interested to know when he will meet with the rest of the community."
Cr Hogan's repeated calls for a community meeting with Mr DiRienzo is also echoed by Nita Reed, the woman for whom the centre is named as she drove the original 16-year community fundraising campaign that purchased the building, established the centre and operated it in Taree until 2006.
It was then handed to HNE Health "transferred free, unencumbered and fully operational ... with more than $80,000 in surplus funds," according to Nita.
The 88-year-old recently added her voice to the community protest campaign and also submitted a written request to Mr DiRienzo asking "when will you be available to host a meeting in Taree to listen to the concerns of the people who will be most affected by any poorly researched decision to reduce this service."
The community protest campaign and calls for answers has been building in recent weeks. More than 70 locations in the Manning Valley now host a petition protesting the HNE Health decision and volunteers have been manning petition stalls at community markets and in local shopping centres. Volunteers yesterday were collecting signatures at a stand located outside of Jack & Co at Taree City Centre.
Cr Hogan said the issue of consultation, process and transparency was front and centre in community discussion about the HNE Health decision and that some of the key issues that will be up for discussion will be:
- The consultation process
- The methodology used by HNE Health to determine the requirement to close the centre and place public dialysis chairs in Forster Private Hospital
- The impact on existing and future dialysis services
- The requirement for some patients to travel from Taree to Forster for dialysis
- The audit of the physical infrastructure of the centre "which showed it was not suitable for future service delivery" according to HNE Health.
- Details of proposed transport options for patients required to travel for dialysis