Last night, Tuesday April 2, a secret meeting regarding nursing services at Lucindale was scheduled to be held behind locked doors.
Patients, public and the media were excluded from the private gathering in the town’s rarely used council chamber.
With an “invitation only” guest list which expanded from “a chosen few” to around 24 people, the meeting was organised by the $243 million Limestone Coast Local Health Network (LCLHN).
A copy of “the list” of those invited was seen by The [Naracoorte Community] News at deadline for print.
It did not include any of the district’s patients reliant on the service – those with cancer, heart failure, diabetes, young mothers with babies requiring vaccines or older people.
Essentially, the sick and elderly who have been told to drive 80kms or more for services, were excluded. Likewise those involved in suicide prevention, the general public, and this newspaper [Naracoorte Community News].
The invitation only gathering resulted from a high-powered meeting at Parliament House last month between Health Minister Chris Picton, Independent Member for MacKillop Nick McBride, Naracoorte Lucindale mayor Patrick Ross, disability advocate Ashley Reynolds, along with others involving Tintinara and Coonalpyn, as well as health network representatives.
Following the meeting Mr Picton ordered the LCLHN to consult with the community.
“I have asked the Local Health Networks to bring together consumer working groups for these services so the community can have a greater local say about planning for these services,” he said at the time.
“I reiterate these were local decisions by the local health networks and local boards – there was no decision from Adelaide and the budgets for the Local Health Networks have increased substantially over the past two years.”
Also at the time Mr McBride vowed he would not stand by and see health services slashed under his watch.
Three weeks passed and Liberal Ben Hood MLC called on Mr Picton to act.
He said Mr Picton had the power to intervene and at the very least, review the decision that was made without any consultation.
Last week Mr Picton said: “I have asked the LCLHN to establish a consumer working group so that the community can have a greater input about planning for these services.
“These working groups will inform the local health network about how the services are performing and how they can be improved to provide quality care to the community.
“Local health decision-making is the system put into law under the former Liberal Government, which established local health boards to make these decisions locally and not from Adelaide.”
The LCLHN is based in Mount Gambier with representatives from that city, Adelaide and one from Bordertown. There are no rural representatives, and none from the Naracoorte, Lucindale, Robe or Kingston areas.
Lucindale’s nursing service had been operating as an “appointment only” service for 50 years on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays with “drop-ins” only for emergencies.
But now during those days, the doors appear locked most of the time with the phone inside diverted to Naracoorte.
A notice pinned on the locked door offers a Naracoorte number.
Regarding the “invitation only” gathering planned for last night, LCLHN chief executive Emma Poland said: “We’re looking forward to meeting with key community members to discuss how we can best provide access to safe high-quality community nursing services to Lucindale.
“I have heard from (the) community that the reasons for the change from a drop-in to by appointment service are unclear and some people are now finding it difficult to access services in Lucindale.
“I will be there to listen and to understand community concerns, and look forward to a constructive, collaborative discussion.”
As “background” information Ms Poland said: “The meeting representatives were put forward by fellow Lucindale residents and represent a wide range of views and experiences.
“The meeting will also include our community nurses, local GPs, and Limestone Coast Local Health Network Executives.”
Meanwhile, last week LCLHN allied and community health executive director Karen Harris claimed services were now offered across five days at Lucindale, compared to three previously, with more home and community visits where appropriate for isolated people needing our services.
“In an emergency, people who need urgent medical attention should always call Triple Zero (000).
“We will be meeting with people across the Lucindale area over the coming weeks to discuss the changes at Lucindale, including consumers, community representatives and clinicians.
“We will be sharing more details on these meetings soon.
“We understand the desire for more information on the Lucindale service, but ask that people remain respectful towards nursing staff who are just doing their job.”
The [Naracoorte Community] News has only heard high levels of praise from the Lucindale community for their three revered nursing staff.
This article appeared in the Naracoorte Community News.
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