Community opposition prevails over another government attempt to sell off a valued hospital.
Health workers reacted with shrieks of excitement and tears of joy to the news that Shellharbour Hospital would remain in public ownership.
Staff at Shellharbour, and the closely affiliated Port Kembla hospital, heard the news at a packed Friday afternoon meeting addressed by Margot Mains, chief executive of Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District.
She told the assembled nurses, midwives, doctors and allied health staff that the state government had abandoned its plan to privatise the hospital – as it had already done at Bowral, Goulburn and Wyong hospitals.
“I was sitting on the floor during the staff meeting and I literally jumped up and down,” said Nadia Rodriguez, a member of the NSWNMA’s Shellharbour Hospital Branch.
“Everyone cheered when we heard the news. I think we were all in shock and couldn’t believe what we were hearing.
‘’What this means is that we have universal health care for everyone; our patients will continue to receive high quality care and our staff finally have security.
“We all fought together and this is the outcome, it is just brilliant. We are so pleased.”
Shellharbour hospital nurse educator and NSWNMA branch member Chevonne Cowell got the news live by speaker phone on her way to the meeting.
“I was so overjoyed I started crying. Tears were streaming down my face,” she said.
Nurses confront Minister
Chevonne was part of a delegation of Shellharbour/Port Kembla health workers who met Health Minister Brad Hazzard a week before the government’s backdown.
“I left the meeting in Parliament House thinking this wasn’t going to be over soon and that we still had a fight on our hands,” she said.
“As we left the meeting I shook his hand and said, ‘I just need you to know we are not going to give up.’
Chevonne said Minister Hazzard listened carefully as NSWNMA delegate at Port Kembla hospital, Nilda Miranda, a clinical nurse consultant in palliative care, outlined problems arising from the privatisation of part of its palliative care service to the Silver Chain company.
“He has a special interest in palliative care and he was all ears when Nilda explained that inadequate information, communication and coordination between the public and private services could result in clinical incidents.”
Chevonne said Shellharbour hospital’s NSWNMA branch received “fantastic support” from NSWNMA officials and staff.
“We developed a leadership group within the branch and we got the message out to the community that opposition to privatisation is being driven by nurses in the hospital who are concerned about patient care – not something driven by union head office.
“We have refocused our efforts onto Maitland Hospital to help the nurses there overturn that privatisation decision as well. Some of our members will travel to Maitland by bus to support those nurses.
“If privatisation is not appropriate for other communities, why would it be a success in Maitland?”
A campaign with many highlights
She said highlights of the campaign included a Shellharbour community forum webcast live by WIN television in June.
“We filled the room to overflowing with community members and it did a lot to change public perceptions.”
Health workers and community members held a candlelight vigil outside the hospital and more than 12,000 Illawarra residents signed a petition opposing privatisation, which prompted a vigorous debate when presented to the NSW parliament.
Another highlight was the decision by the Liberal MP for Kiama, Gareth Ward, to publicly oppose privatisation after “sitting on the fence” for a year.
In announcing his decision Ward told the Illawarra Mercury: ‘’I’m not in a position to entertain the concept of a PPP (public–private partnership) anymore …and it’s my view that the government should proceed itself with the $251 million redevelopment of Shellharbour Hospital.”
Chevonne said, “We welcomed that he finally came on board because it gave people who really weren’t convinced a signal that the government’s own MP had turned against it. It gave us more clout in the community.”
In the run-up to local government elections, Shellharbour Council’s Labor candidates signed a pledge of support for a fully-funded public hospital.
Wollongong Council’s Labor candidates did the same at Port Kembla Hospital.
Shellharbour Labor MP Anna Watson called the government’s backdown “a win for every single person who attended a rally, and who signed the petition.”
Chevonne said the formation of a community group, facilitated by the combined unions, was vital to the campaign’s success.
“The group was made up of respected community leaders who campaigned alongside us and they were instrumental in engaging the community, especially in Gareth Ward’s electorate.”
Shellharbour and Port Kembla Public Hospitals Community Group coordinator Irene Hatzipetros told The Illawarra Mercury that public opposition to privatisation was based on experience of past privatisation failures.
‘’A lot of people can’t afford private health insurance and are hugely concerned about their access to vital services under the proposal,” she said.
Help support Maitland
Four down one to go! Maitland Hospital is the only one of the five hospitals initially earmarked for privatisation that is still under threat.
Join our campaign to keep Maitland public by registering your support via the Keep NSW in a Healthy State website (https://keepnswinahealthystate.com.au/).
