The Area News reported on Tuesday allegations Griffith and Temora health services are being targeted for cuts to compensate for a $20 million black hole at Wagga hospital.

While MLHD initially did not respond to our questions on, managers have attempted to answer queries in a phone conference on Wednesday.

MLHD chief executive Jill Ludford said claims of a $20 million black hole were false and that she, “wants to be as transparent as possible”.

The Area News had reported up to $20 million angiography equipment had allegedly been wasted due to:  

1] Expensive angiography equipment lying unsued for 19 months.

2] Service fees and staff being paid while it was unused.

3] Patients being referred to private (Calvary) hospital for  treatment at inflated costs. 

Ms Ludford said the angiography equipment had been operational since July. 

She said this was 12 months later than the mid-2016 planned launch, “because the tender process took longer than I anticipated”. 

The Area News requested information on the breakdown of costs related to the equipment, so the $20 million figure could be definitively refuted. 

Ms Ludford said, “I will endevour to provide as much information as possible... but the equipment is rolled in to service agreements so hard to pull out”. 

She also said some information was “commerical-in-confidence”. 

But Ms Ludford said, “I give you an undertaking we will try and provide a breakdown for you”. 

The MLHD also expressed concern about the use of taxpayers money to process such a request. 

Ms Ludford also said recent MLHD decisions to shut down a Temora Obstretics theatre and Griffith sterilisation supplies had nothing to do with what was happening in Wagga. 

She also said the Griffith histopathology decision was not an MLHD decision, but made by NSW Health Pathology. 

Save Griffith Base Hospital President Jenna Woodland said, “it’s outrageous we are losing vital hospital services in Griffith while so much money is allegedly being wasted in Wagga”. 

Griffith Base Hospital has recently faced downgrades to radiology, sterilisation and pathology services. 

Two weeks ago, doctors at Temora hospital were told their obstetric theatre would be shut down. 

All decisions were made by health bureaucrats who did not tell government or local doctors. 

After a public outcry, the Griffith pathology and Temora decisions were reversed. 

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The Area News Questions to MLHD

Does the new Wagga Hospital have world class angiography theatres and equipment built at a cost of $ 10 million?

Are they lying unused (for the purpose they were built) for the last 19 months?

Is the equipment out of company warranty?

Is annual service and maintenance fee being paid after company warranty expired, even when machines have never been used. How much is this fee?

How do you know that the machines work correctly, if they have not been used at all?

Why have the machines not been used for the past 19 months? 

How many patients were sent to a private facility for tests and procedures which could be done using own facilities since the new hospital opened?

How much was the bill in the last 19 months for sending these patients across to private?

Is this why small rural facilities are being downgraded and shut, to cover this wastage?

How many staff have been recruited for these facilities which lie unused? What have they been doing? How do they fill their day?

When were these staff recruited?

What is the annual salary of these staff?

MLHD original full response:

Wagga Wagga Rural Referral Hospital is a campus undergoing continual change as part of its redevelopment, with state-of-the-art facilities built and implemented for the future.

As part of this future-planning, Wagga Wagga Rural Referral Hospital has commenced a staged introduction of interventionist radiology services, including new Angiography services.

Staff have already commenced training for the new service, under the care of experienced clinicians who are also overseeing the service implementation.

While this service is being set up, the existing Angiography services will continued unchanged. The equipment has had regular required checks until its planned commissioning this year