Modbury Hospital

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (15:15): In its long and proud history, the Modbury Hospital has weathered many challenges and arguably emerged stronger every time, and in the current process of Transforming Health, I have every confidence this experience will be repeated. This is because of the amazing staff involved who have given, and continue to give, great service to our community.

Since the failed experiment by the then state Liberal government to privatise management of Modbury public hospital and introduce a private ward within the public building, there have been big investments at the Modbury Hospital since it came back to public hands. While there have been changes to services, new and different services have come on site.

That failed privatisation saw a mass exodus of staff and proved that health is, and should always be, a not-for-profit essential service. While that was an ill-conceived and ultimately unsuccessful experiment, changes to service deliveries are essential if we are to continue to enjoy equality in health care with best care every time.

Federally, in the past 12 months we have seen the Abbott Liberal government seek to make changes to Medicare. This suggests that the time to debate sensible measures—not wholesale changes—to a system that has delivered health care to all Australians on an equitable basis has well and truly arrived. To do nothing is not an option. As the time to have a say in Transforming Health draws to a close (and submissions can still be made until 27 February), minister Snelling and his department are working very hard to make sure changes produce better health outcomes.

No-one embarks on major changes of this nature unless it is to effect a better outcome in the end. During what was known as the Generational Health Review, changes were discussed and subsequently introduced that were, at the time, a great challenge. Since then, health costs have continued to rise due to the longer life expectancies of the ageing population who have access to better technology and more procedures than ever before and ever imagined. As medical science continues to find better treatments this will continue, so we must plan, not only to improve outcomes now but well into the future.

Modbury Hospital has had around $30 million of infrastructure improvements since 2002, including $18 million in the accident and emergency area which will continue to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The exact details of Transforming Health are yet to be finalised, but I am assured we will see additional investment in rehabilitation care to cater for the large cohort of older people in the Florey and surrounding electorates, better mental health services, continuing excellence in palliative and hospice services, and a centre for excellence established in ophthalmology.

What is unforgivable, though, is the climate of anxiety created by those who wish to scare people by creating uncertainty and this, in turn, creates an erosion of confidence in the health services at Modbury Hospital and at hospitals and health services throughout the city and beyond. The integrated approach to health care will be explained in the months ahead and, as always, each person's general practitioner will be the cornerstone to ensuring good health is part of everyone's life.

We all have a responsibility to our own health, be it in a commitment to good food choices or to exercise and social activity. The Modbury area has great services for people of all ages, and two in particular I would like to mention are for the older people in our area, that is, the University of the Third Age, which engages people from all walks of life on a large campus not far from Tea Tree Plaza, and the Tea Tree Plaza mall walkers, who see hundreds of people engage in healthy activity and then form great social bonds and networks with the people who are involved there.

During all these times of change the Modbury Hospital suffered because of rumours, but while there are adverse outcomes in any health system, the good stories rarely rate a mention save for the countless numbers of thankyou cards on display in the various wards in the hospital. They thank the staff for their dedication.

One such nurse, who was featured in the Leader Messenger in May last year, prior to International Nurses and Midwifery Week, was Bronwyn McCallum, who has worked for almost four decades at the Modbury Hospital. The Messenger states:

Ms McCallum, who is now one of the senior registered nurses in Modbury's emergency department, says the best part of her job is the unpredictability and knowing she can make a difference to people's lives.

As we work towards making sure that Transforming Health is welcomed into the community, it would be good to just let people know that there will be a public forum at the hospital on Friday, 20 February between 5.30 and 7.30 in the education area and urge people to come along, listen to what is proposed to be happening, have a say in what they think are important outcomes and be a part of this wonderful new way of receiving health services in the north-eastern suburbs.