Urgent attention must be drawn to the "major inadequacies" of Shoalhaven Hospital, says Cr Bob Proudfoot

Compiling a list of solutions for the hospital, Cr Proudfoot put forward a motion to place pressure on state parliamentarians to address these "inadequacies" at yesterday's Ordinary Council Meeting, May 25.

The motion was passed unanimously.

Cr Proudfoot, who is also being treated for cancer at the Shoalhaven Hospital, said he compiled the list after hearing the concerns from "hospital whistleblowers".

"When I had my stay at the hospital...I had many people come forward with their story about what is needed," he said.

"And these people are worth their weight in gold. I took their claims very seriously."

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Cr Proudfoot said there is an "obvious" need for an MRI scan operating seven days per week and the establishment of a Fracture Clinic at the hospital.

"There are just far too many stories of inconvenience," he said.

"A couple months ago a woman was telling me about her grandson who came off a skate board along the cycle way at Sanctuary Point and fractured his wrist.

"Because there was no facilities in the south, the dramas that family went through had to deal with it adequately were an abolute struggle."

Cr Proudfoot also called for a major upgrade to the computer and administrative systems, a well-resourced Oncology section in the general hospital to provide greater care for cancer sufferers, a greater resource level at the Cancer Care Centre and "no-charge parking" for nurses and hospital staff.

The Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District revealed they will be starting work on a $438 million upgrade of the current hospital site in the next few months.

Cr Proudfoot said this was the perfect time to place pressure on state parliamentarians, but said more money needs to be directed towards the upgrades listed in yesterday's motion.

"It reckon it shold take a billion dollars to do all of these things properly and we need these points to be addressed, especially in this hospital where the tyranny of distance is just so great."

Independent Cr Nina Digiglio, who has been advocating for a new hospital on a greensfield site, continued to push for the cause at yesterday's meeting.

"The greensfield hospital has been demonstrated with research from Justin Field that it is cheaper in the long run and less disruptive to the staff," she said.

"It makes more sense to serve our community with a hospital they deserve."

However Cr Proudfoot thinks building a new hospital will take the focus away from the "urgent" needs of the current hospital.

"For a hospital that is already battling to maintain a top-service level, this will only start to deteriorate if they only concentrate on the greensfield site," he said.

"The greensfield site is something more futuristic, maybe 30 or 40 years down the track. I think it's unwise to down that path now when Shoalhaven Council quite some time ago planned to develop in the precinct where it is."

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