Save Our Wee Waa Hospital campaigners fight to keep service open during isolation

The ‘Save Our Wee Waa Hospital’ campaign has been fighting to restore the health service to 24-hour operation, but its ongoing crusade ramped up this week when the town was isolated following heavy rainfall and rising water levels.

“It’s just unacceptable that in the current situation they could even consider not having it open,” said Narrabri Shire mayor Darrell Tiemens.

“This is a classic example of why we need Wee Waa Hospital open.”

Since May 2023, the hours of Wee Waa Health Service have been ‘temporarily reduced’, operating from 8am to 5.30pm.

So far, the hospital has remained open while Wee Waa is experiencing isolation. The latest advice is it will continue operating 24/7 until Friday April 4, 5:30pm but the information is being updated online via the Wee Waa Community Hospital page and shared on the Save Wee Waa Hospital Facebook page. 

“With floodwaters currently affecting the north-west plains, we will be temporarily extending the operating hours of Wee Waa Health Service,” said a statement posted on social media by Hunter New England Health.

Cr Tiemens is part of the Save Our Wee Waa Hospital campaign team, a committee of dedicated local volunteers.

“It’s clear this situation is causing significant stress and anxiety for many,” said the volunteer group on its social media page.

“It also highlights, yet again, the urgent need for our hospital to operate 24/7.”

Cr Tiemens said the closure of the Kamilaroi Highway, which connects Wee Waa to Narrabri and Walgett, means residents are unable to access the next nearest health facility if the Wee Waa Hospital is closed.

And, as a result, members of town’s vulnerable population — including elderly residents, families with young children, and those with chronic conditions — could be left without immediate access to care if the health service isn’t operating.

The committee has thanked the authorities and staff for keeping the hospital operating during the floods.

“We remain committed to advocating for the full restoration of services—and we won’t stop until that happens.”

Member for Barwon Roy Butler said, “Recently we heard news that Hunter New England Local Health District had restored Wee Waa Hospital to normal operating hours in response to the flood emergency.

“The hospital has been operating at ‘temporarily reduced hours’ since May 2023.

“But HNE LHD said that they are only ‘temporarily extending the operating hours of Wee Waa Hospital’.

“This raises two issues: First, to say they were “extending” the operating hours for this brief period makes it sound like the reduced hours are the normal operating hours; Second, if they are so easily able to extend the hours now, why couldn’t they do it any time over the last two years?”.

The ‘Save Our Wee Waa Hospital’ campaign had 40 minutes in the spotlight at NSW parliament last week.

The powerhouse committee of local volunteers exceeded their goal of more than 10,000 signatures on a petition and triggered a debate on Thursday, March 27,
about the town’s health service in the Legislative Assembly.

The paper petition, presented by Mr Butler calls on the government to: 1. Direct Hunter New England Health to urgently provide Wee Waa Hospital access to an onsite doctor.

2. Restore the 24-hour operation of Wee Waa Hospital, including emergency services, inpatient beds (general medicine, rehabilitation, respite, and palliative care), outpatient services, and primary and community health care services.

3. Require monthly reporting from Hunter New England Health the Minister for Health, the Member for Barwon, and the Mayor of Narrabri until full 24/7 operation and onsite doctor access are restored.

“During the sitting weeks the Save Wee Waa Hospital group, including Narrabri mayor Darrell Tiemens, travelled to Parliament to present me with a petition of nearly 12,000 signatures,” Mr Butler said this week.

“Wee Waa Hospital has been at ‘temporarily reduced’ opening hours (since May 2023), and Hunter New England Local Health District has failed to recruit the health staff needed to return it to full operational hours,” he said.

“Petitions are a way of putting an issue before Parliament, because when a paper petition gathers more than 10,000 (20,000 for online petitions) and is presented to Parliament it can trigger a debate.

“While the debate doesn’t actually compel the government to do anything, it does raise awareness.

“Sometimes it can take weeks or months from the time of the petition being handed over to the time it is debated, but in this case the debate took place the next week.

“The mayor returned to parliament for the debate, accompanied by representatives from the Save Wee Waa Hospital group.

“It was a respectful debate, all speakers were united in wanting to see the hospital return to normal operations, although there were some differing opinions on how that should happen.

“I want to thank my parliamentary colleagues for their contributions – including the Member for Coffs Harbour Gurmesh Singh, the Member for the Blue Mountains Trish Doyle, the Member for Wagga Dr Joe McGirr, the Member for Northern Tablelands Brendan Moylan, the Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson and the Health Minister Ryan Park.

“The next steps are the Independent Inquiry into Hunter New England and the decisions it made in closing the hospital, which will reveal the decision making process of the executive.

“There is also a bill before the house to split the Hunter New England LHD, which would give the New England region back some control over its health services.

“The hospital is a vital medical hub of a much larger area, if it continues to operate at reduced hours, it will cost lives.

“With everything that is happening—the bill, the debate, the petition, and the independent review—the priority is to get a solution that will get the hospital back to serving the community as it should.

“I am working with people to make submissions to the independent inquiry and the inquiry into my bill.

“With what we reveal about Hunter New England’s decision-making processes, we will bring about some positive, lasting change.”

Cr Tiemens said he was ‘very impressed with the debate and that it was 40 minutes talking about Wee Waa and the Wee Waa Hospital.”

“I’m very, very happy with that we got that far.

“I’m proud that the community got the petition and their fight so far and managed to be noticed.

“To sit there and look around with the volunteers, I felt such pride as to how amazing this group is.

“Standing up and saying it is just unacceptable that the hospital closes at 5.30pm and that there is no doctor.

“We are taxpayers and we deserve access to essential services, there is no greater essential service in a town like Wee Waa than its hospital,” he said. “I was very happy with the speeches by all side of politics.

“I was very appreciative to the local member Roy Butler.

“And for the strong words of support from the Health Minister Ryan Park,” added Cr Tiemens.

“What has happened during the floods has given us even more determination to keep fighting,” he said.

During last Thursday’s debate, Health Minister Ryan Park said, “To receive a petition with more than 10,000 signatories is a testament both to the work and commitment of the Member for Barwon, the mayor and, of course, the local community and to the deeply held concerns of the local community and its surrounds regarding their access to health services. I sincerely and honestly acknowledge their concerns and assure the community that this government is committed to the delivery of essential health services in Wee Waa and surrounding communities.”

More on the Save Wee Waa Hospital debate will feature in next week’s edition.