2LT Local News
Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury areas deprived of ambulances because of health dept., policy, say paramedics
Oct 13, 2017
SPRINGWOOD, Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia – The Australian Paramedics Association has lashed out at the New South Wales Health Department over its policy of directing major trauma cases away from Nepean Hospital.
Even if ambulances are closer to Nepean, they are directed to take patients to Westmead, Westmead Children’s Hospital, or Liverpool Hospital.
The association says it is because Nepean Hospital doesn’t get major trauma funding.
It says the measure is putting patients in the Nepean and Blue Mountains areas at risk.
If a person is critically injured in Springwood, paramedics are forced to take them 50 kilometres to Westmead Hospital because it is the closest, designated T1 Trauma Centre, within a 60 minute travel time.
When ambulances coming from the Blue Mountains are diverted to Westmead, the APA says they often get caught up servicing emergency calls in the Westmead areas, leaving the Nepean, Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury areas without adequate ambulance coverage.
