Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I present a petition concerning Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital, which has been approved by the Standing Committee on Petitions. I have previously raised the issue of the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital in this chamber. Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital is the major public hospital in Bradfield. It is unfortunate indeed that the physical condition of this hospital is poor and that the fine medical and other staff of that hospital have to work in very difficult circumstances in providing treatment and services to the many patients who go through that hospital on a daily basis.

The situation has become so urgent that the hospital’s medical staff and other staff have obtained over 30,000 signatures, I am told by the Chair of the Medical Staff Council, Dr Richard Harris, on a petition which calls for the facilities of the hospital to be upgraded. I have myself been with Dr Harris and other members of the hospital staff in the Hornsby Mall collecting signatures for this petition. It is unfortunate, as I have mentioned before, that the New South Wales Labor government failed to include within its application to the Rudd government’s $3.1 billion health and hospitals fund any reference to Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital.

There were many fine words from the present Labor government in the lead-up to the 2007 election, but those fine words have to date produced no action at Hornsby hospital. But the people of Hornsby and surrounding districts have spoken in signing in very large numbers this petition that seeks to highlight the very difficult conditions in which staff work at that hospital and in which patients are treated and which seeks the assistance of the House in addressing this matter. I am therefore pleased to table this petition.

The petition read as follows—

To the Honourable The Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives

This petition of the staff and community of Hornsby Kuring-gai Hospital

draws to the attention of the house that the media have highlighted the appalling difficulties under which medical, nursing and allied health staff work at Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital Despite these difficulties, the service provided by staff to their patients is of the highest quality.

We therefore ask the House to act to rectify problems that have been steadily deteriorating for decades. We call on the government to rebuild our local hospital.

from 13,597 citizens

Petition received.