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OAKESHOTT INDEPENDENT

OAKESHOTT WELCOMES 'SURGE BED' STRATEGY BEING PUT ON HOLD

 

The decision to put the 'surge bed' strategy on hold is sensible, Independent MP for Port Macquarie, Robert Oakeshott, said today.

"The 'surge bed' strategy was a "smoke and mirrors" strategy that denies the realities of infrastructure funding priorities for Port Macquarie Base Hospital , said Mr Oakeshott.

"The 'surge bed' strategy would have put greater pressures on community health resources and staff, and made the clinical decision-making process, around who should and shouldn't be in hospital, more difficult, said Mr Oakeshott.

"I therefore welcome this announcement and am pleased the CEO of the Area Health Service has chosen to listen to the concerns being expressed widely about this strategy.

"We must now rally together as a region and lobby Government extremely hard, to demonstrate the obvious and underlying need for more general beds and an expanded emergency department through the construction of the "4th Pod" at the hospital, Mr Oakeshott said today.

28 February 2008