Why did the NSW Government purchase the Aged Care facility located next to Bulli Hospital?
The NSW Government purchased a brand new unused aged care centre co-located on the Bulli Hospital campus.
The NSW Government identified that purchasing this facility will improve the District’s network of healthcare services, increasing sub-acute bed capacity and enabling implementation of contemporary models of care.
Acquiring this facility has also give the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District a unique opportunity to relocate some services to a brand new and modern facility built to cater for our ageing population.
Wasn’t the idea that the Bulli Hospital and Aged Care Centre and IRT’s facility services were meant to complement one another?
No, each facility offered completely different services. IRT’s facility was a residential aged care facility (RACF), while Bulli Hospital provides medical, nursing and allied health support to assist people to return to their own homes or supported living in a RACF.
What services will be offered at Bulli?
Sub-acute inpatient services such as rehabilitation and geriatric care, as well as a range of outpatient and day rehabilitation services will be provided at Bulli. In Stage One all inpatient services from Port Kembla Hospital will transfer to Bulli. At the completion of the works at Wollongong Hospital, the specialist Palliative Care and Rehabilitation services will be transferred from Bulli to Wollongong. Once the new Shellharbour Hospital is commissioned additional aged and rehabilitation beds will be available and a final Stage Three move will be made, with the provision of local aged and rehabilitation services at the new Shellharbour Hospital.
What work needs to be undertaken at the facility before it is ready for the Local Health District to treat patients?
The IRT facility has been built to a residential aged care facility standard and some work needs to be done to bring it up to health care facility guidelines.
What will this work cost?
The project will be funded and managed as part of the more than $700 million New Shellharbour Hospital and Integrated Services project.
What is the timeframe for these works at Bulli Hospital?
It is expected work will be completed in 2023.
Won’t this pose even more parking problems on Hospital Road?
There are parking spaces provided in the grounds of Bulli Hospital which will alleviate street parking.
Is the local community being consulted?
The NSW Government undertook a comprehensive consultation program with the local community and staff during the planning and building of the new Bulli Hospital and IRT’s facility through information sessions, letterbox drops and newsletters.
The decision to acquire the IRT facility has been made because it will increase the healthcare services offered in the Illawarra.
What is the Bulli Hospital Urgent Care Centre?
The Bulli Hospital Urgent Care Centre (Bulli UCC) specialises in lower acuity presentations, treating patients who present with minor illness and injury. The Bulli Urgent Care Centre is open Monday to Friday from 8am – 8pm.
What are the staffing arrangements?
The Bulli UCC is staffed by one registered nurse and one doctor per shift. Patients presenting to the UCC are triaged by the registered nurse on duty, who determines the treatment plan or referral to an appropriate service.
Why have there been occasions where patients presenting to the Bulli UCC have been referred elsewhere?
Patients can be redirected to Wollongong Hospital, which is a 10-minute drive from Bulli, or their nearest medical centre, if a doctor is unavailable and this is a safe option for the patient. In the event of an emergency, an ambulance is called, and the patient is transferred to Wollongong Hospital. From time to time, there are shortages in the availability of doctors at Bulli UCC, for example, when staff members are ill or taking annual holiday leave. Hospital management makes every effort to fill all shifts.