Setting up centralised points of care on each of the Border campuses of Albury-Wodonga Health is an outcome the interstate agreement should facilitate, says Albury MLA Greg Aplin.
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Mr Aplin expected the current agreement – where both governments fund the service and it is managed by Victoria – to be upheld.
“I don’t think there will be a change to the way it’s managed; there needs to be a single management entity,” he said.
“While it’s being re-negotiated, it’s really an update of the agreement to take into account the needs of future.
“They (AWH) want to have elective surgeries undertaken at the Wodonga campus and the acute aspects of health undertaken at Albury.
“I’m sure the agreement will look at that into the future as well.”
AWH has grown to become a 286-bed service that treated 35,122 inpatients, triaged 62,292 emergency presentations and welcomed 1712 babies in 2015-2016.
The service delivers care in 17 sites across Southern NSW and North East Victoria, covering a population of approximately 250,000, according to its last annual report.
In 2012, then-NSW Cross-Border commissioner Steve Toms referenced AWH as a productive model, but said “employees reported some teething issues in dealing with different state industrial awards.”
Mr Aplin said many of those issues had been smoothed out years ago.
“Huge strides have been made – it’s important it grows in strength,” he said.
“I would like to see (the update) concluded this year and I’m looking forward to some budget announcements.”
Mr Aplin said he would be “more than disappointed” if the state budgets did not include any funding for AWH.
“An independent review of Nolan House was undertaken (in 2015) and there was a one-off funding contribution of $566,000 in December from NSW … for infrastructure upgrades,” he said.
“Much more needs to be done.
“We know that Albury hospital has to have some work undertaken in terms of the emergency department.
“I would be looking for a contribution and I don’t care who delivers it, I just want it done.”