Hospitals a Priority

The coalition's pledge to spend $300m on the State's hospitals is a welcome part of their plan. Hospitals in Western Sydney have struggled for years to keep pace with the demand for their varied services. Faced with the "rapidly ageing" baby boomer demographic and a constantly increasing influx of migrants, the bed to potential patient ratio has resulted in long waiting lists. In other words delays; delays in medical attention for all age groups. In this day and age, delays in medical treatment should be a thing of the past.

Parramatta has an excellent medical precinct at Westmead with the hospital and research facilities and Westmead is also a teaching hospital. Hospitals not only provide medical care but they are also major contributors to the economy and in particular the local economy. Westmead is a major employment node for all levels of employment. Not only medical practitioners but also auxiliary staff, administration staff, cleaners and vendors. Surrounding the hospital are medical specialists in consulting rooms, also employing staff.

The Children's' Medical Research Institute and the Children's Hospital are, like the Westmead Hospital, both employers and consumers and both are fundraisers who generate income by interaction with the community. Everyone in the local community of a hospital is involved with a hospital in some way.

The Chamber welcomes any investment in these key facilities for medical reasons of course but also welcomes the flow on effect of such investment. For Parramatta, the Westmead medical precinct is critical to the community both socially and economically and it is to be hoped that whoever forms government after the election will make hospitals a priority.