Chief executive of Hunter New England Health Mr Michael DiRienzo has said that Manning Hospital “plays an important role within the trauma network” of the Mid North Coast, but ruled out changes to its current role as a trauma treatment centre.
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Mr DiRienzo and Member for Myall Lakes Stephen Bromhead fronted a community meeting on Thursday (July 7) at Club Taree, where the role of the hospital was discussed.
“What we spoke about was getting a clearer understanding of what a trauma centre is,” Mr Rienzo said.
The role the hospital plays in trauma treatment was highlighted after a horror five-horse fall at Taree in May, which saw two jockeys airlifted to John Hunter Hospital and two transported to Port Macquarie Base Hospital.
One of the Port Macquarie bound riders suffered a concussion and a gash on her leg. The fall prompted Taree-Wingham Race Club chairman Greg Coleman to call Manning Hospital a “band-aid hospital”
Mr DiRienzo said that of the 2600-odd people presented to Manning Hospital in the past 12 months for trauma treatment, about two per cent had been transferred to Port Macquarie.
He said the transportation of jockeys to Port Macquarie was done because they were involved in a “high speed accident”.
“When it comes to minor trauma or no speed involved, they’re all coming to Manning hospital,” he said.
With $10m in funding for the hospital announced in the State government’s 2016-17 budget, Mr DiRienzo said work undertaken was “not about changing the profile of the hospital, but strengthening current services”.
The $10m will go towards stage one of the redevelopment of the hospital’s renal and oncology services.
“The enhancement we’ll get with the services means it’ll play a leadership role with the satellite services set up in Forster,” Mr DiRienzo said.
Mr Bromhead said that Manning Hospital “can’t be a trauma hospital and it won’t be a trauma hospital”.
Mr Bromhead stated that of the roughly 230 hospitals in NSW, 17 of these were trauma hospitals.
Of the 17, one is John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle, and another is Port Macquarie Hospital.
Mr Bromhead said that he instead saw the future of the hospital as improving on its current services.
“The future of the Manning Hospital is to provide the services that is does now and improving on those services.”
