CONCERNED locals have raised questions about the future of the rehabilitation unit at Tamworth hospital with the unit seemingly left out of any redevelopment plans.
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Tamworth hospital has been undergoing extensive refurbishments since 2012 with work being done on a new emergency and intensive care departments, maternity and peadiatric units and new opearting theatres, but patients fear the rehab unit has been left out of the mix.
Tamworth woman, Dulcie Townsend-Robb had a stay at the rehab unit recently, and she told The Leader the unit’s condition was disappointing.
“It was really dirty in the toilets,” she said.
“There was cold showers and no heating and the staff’s lockers were in the dining room.
“The building needs to be fixed. It made me wonder why hasn’t anything been done there.”
Ms Townsend-Robb’s comments reignite conversation about redevelopment for the unit, with patients lamenting its state more than a year ago.
One patient said the unit was in a “ghastly” and “antiquated” state, while another deemed it Tamworth hospital’s “forgotten place”.
The Leader put the question to its readers on social media and a number of people expressed a desire to see the unit upgraded.
“They need it to be done asap,” Anne-marie Faulkner said.
“Would be nice to see it upgraded. It’s very dated,” Debbie Mann said.
Anne Rixon spent time at the unit and said she “was not impressed at all”.
In a statement, hospital general manager Catharine Death confirmed “building refurbishments for Ward 11 were not included in the scope of the works for the redevelopment project”.
“The redevelopment provided $320,000 to build a covered walk way between the Ward 11 rehabilitation unit, the main hospital building and other health services on the Tamworth hospital campus,” Ms Death said.
“Hunter New England Health has also invested in recent upgrades to the air-conditioning and storage facilities for the unit.”
The $211 million redevelopment is currently focused on upgrading the Bruderlin and 1883 buildings to enhance ambulatory care, medical records facilities, renal dialysis, nuclear medicine and cardio-respiratory services.