Health Infrastructure (HI) Project Director Amanda Bock took the time to acknowledge and thank the Griffith community for their submissions for alternative uses for the Nurses’ Quarters buildings.

MLHD address issues surrounding the proposed demolition of the nurses quarters, release information about upcoming community consultation, what is planned for services at the hospital during the building stages, and where the current funding of the hospital stands.

In a recent breakfast meeting, Griffith representatives agreed on option six of the Master Plan as the ideal model.

MLHD say patients in Griffith will soon have additional oncology and rehabilitation facilities at GBH, which is bolstering services as part of its Stage one $35 million expansion project.

The project includes plans for the expansion of Ambulatory services including Rehabilitation, consultation rooms, Hospital in the Home, and Day Medical and Oncology Services.

A monthly Business Breakfast meeting took place in Griffith on Wednesday June 13, where key community stakeholders discussed the project and the expansion of the temporary Renal Unit, which is expected to open in late 2018.

Mayor John Dal Broi said from his perspective, it was a very good meeting.

“From my perspective there is a whole group of community representation in those meetings,” Cr Dal Broi said.

“What we are doing is that some people in this community… some don’t have an iPad or computer to log on to see the master plan, so what I’ve arranged to do is to have a blown up copy of option six, and will have it in the library and in the Council chambers.”

Health Infrastructure (HI) Senior Project Director Amanda Bock said submissions had also been received from the community around alternate uses for the Nurses Quarters.

“We thank the people who took time to provide input. Specialist hospital planners, independent advisers and Health Executives will now review the submissions and assess the proposals,” Ms Bock said.

“We expect this will take a couple of weeks and we will let the community know the outcome as soon as possible.”

Community consultation

On May 25 and 26, the project held community information sessions at Griffith Mall.

More than 120 members of the public visited the pop-up stalls, and MLHD said there was positive feedback for both the Stage 1 scope and the Master Plan.

The project team will conduct further information and consultation sessions in the coming months on various aspects of the project, and the Breakfast Meetings will continue each month.

The Griffith community will have the option to either view the plan online, or if unable to access the internet, have the chance to see a large picture of the plan at Griffith City Library on Tuesday 19 June, and all members of the community welcome to provide feedback.

WHY ARE YOU MOVING RENAL TEMPORARILY?

This is called a staging process and it allows clinical services to continue while we build a new hospital. The temporary Renal Unit is being renovated to ensure it is comfortable, modern and welcoming for consumers who require this service.

WILL RENAL BE EXPANDING?

Yes, it will expand from seven to 10 chairs and provide an additional two training chairs.

WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH ONCOLOGY SERVICES?

Oncology services will be expanded at Griffith Base Hospital with the number of Chemotherapy chairs more than doubling from four to 10.

The community has asked for more Oncology Services and we have listened.

WILL STAFF BE CONSULTED?

Yes, staff are participating in user groups which will require clinical leadership and expertise. Staff are also encouraged to contact the Project Team at the email listed below.

WHY DEMOLISH THE NURSES QUARTERS?

The proposed demolition of the Nurses Quarters will free up space on the campus for the project. It is the preferred zone for staging works while we build your hospital and is valuable land for future expansion.

The Griffith Base Hospital Nurses Quarters has been uninhabitable for a number of years due to its small room configuration and not used as nurses accommodation for over a decade.

The Nurses Quarters building was the subject of a heritage report and it found demolition was the best option.

WHAT ABOUT MORE COMMUNITY CONSULTATION?

Yes, in the coming months we also be asking members of the public to get involved in further opportunities for community consultation. We want the community to know that everyone can have a say.

The project team has been working hard to ensure the community is being heard in relation to the Griffith Base Hospital project. On the 24 and 25 May we held two community drop-in sessions in Griffith. Additionally, we have been regularly engaging with staff, clinicians, the Local Health Advisory Committee (LHAC) and your local business and council representatives.

WHAT ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH?

The project will see an expansion of some services with exact details still to be determined.

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