“Conversations need to occur between Hunter New England Health and medical specialists to consider the planning issues of connectivity, the breadth of services needed, parking and traffic flow,” according to Manning Great Lakes Community Health Action Group president, Alan Tickle.
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Recently re-elected to the top job, with Eddie Wood as vice-president, Mr Tickle gave voice to some of the community opinion that he said was shared at a recent MidCoast Council land use planning workshop. He said the planning workshop focused on the health precinct in Taree.
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“There were around 70 people from a wide cross-section of interest groups in attendance at the workshop who were broken up into groups to cover various planning topics and I must say that I thought council staff did a great job,” Mr Tickle said.
What astounded me was the almost unanimous and very clear message from participants that health services and the resourcing of the hospital is a priority and just how much people were aware of the issues affecting delivery of health services.
- Alan Tickle
“This illustrated that conversations need to occur between Hunter New England Health and medical specialists, to consider the planning issues of connectivity, the breadth of services needed, parking and traffic flow.”
Mr Tickle said he acted to follow-up on the issues “with a meeting with senior council strategic planning staff last Tuesday.”
Mr Tickle also responded to comments by Hunter New England Health chief executive officer, Michael DiRienzo, about MGLCHAG.
“To be honest that group is looking for a chief executive to give them leverage around whatever they’re doing and that’s not my job. I am not political, so I can’t join in on political discussions,” Mr DiRienzo said.
“My job as a senior public servant is to be apolitical and put evidence on the table, and what I’ve done in attending those (group) meetings is to put the evidence on the table.
I’ve offered to talk to them more often, but I’ve got to say it’s challenging.
- Michael DiRienzo
Mr Tickle said he took Mr DiRienzo’s comments “as a compliment”.
“We will continue to challenge government from both sides of the house and Hunter New England Health District on behalf of our community, and often for the medical personnel themselves who are afraid to speak up.”
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