RDA President
Dr Ian Kamerman Ph 0488 732 679
Press Releases
NSW RDN/ RDA (NSW) 2010 Summer Refresher Conference
The NSW RDN/ RDA (NSW) 2010 Summer Refresher Conference will be held 26 February – 28 February 2010 at Opal Cove Resort, Coffs Harbour.
You can download a registration form below. Once you have completed the registration form please fax to 02 8337 8110.
Lectures and workshop topics include: Making a difference – what works in Aboriginal health, Paediatric Emergencies, Palliative Care, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Infectious Diseases and Sleep Apnoea. The Renal Disease session has been cancelled.
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Doctors commend Area Health Service for prompt action on Coolah Hospital concerns
The Rural Doctors Association of NSW (RDA NSW) has commended the Greater Western Area Health Service (GWAHS) for its prompt action in returning emergency and acute care services to Coolah Hospital and taking the hospital off bypass.
RDA NSW warned last Wednesday that—in shutting down the hospital’s emergency department and acute care beds, and placing the hospital on bypass—lives would be put at risk with critical and acute care patients being forced to travel or be transported to distant hospitals for treatment.
Patient safety at risk as Coolah Hospital bypassed
The Rural Doctors Association of NSW (RDA NSW) is warning that the Greater Western Area Health Service’s decision to place Coolah Hospital on bypass indefinitely, effectively shutting down the hospital’s emergency department, will put lives at risk.
The Association is calling on the Area Health Service to work urgently to recruit more nurses at the hospital—including by recruiting temporary nurses through locum agencies—to ensure the hospital can remain open.
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Pambula Hospital Obstetrics - Good Hearing from New Minister
Local Pambula doctors are pleased with the hearing they and the Pambula community received from the NSW Health Minister and Deputy Premier Carmel Tebbutt during talks on Wednesday over the re-opening of Pambula’s closed maternity unit.
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Moree Doctor Wins Coveted Award
Moree rural doctor and obstetrician, Dr Maxine Percival, received the prestigious award at the Rural Doctors Association of Australia’s and Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine’s national Rural Medicine Australia 2009 conference, held in Melbourne over the weekend.....
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Ailing NSW Rural Health System Needs More than Band-Aid Solutions
Substantial injections of additional health dollars rather than short term bailouts are needed to turn around the crisis in the NSW rural health system, the Rural Doctors Association of NSW (RDA NSW) said.
“The latest financial and management problems in rural NSW health will not go away until the Rees Government is prepared to provide realistic support for the system we have, rather than continue to allow it to fall apart,” RDA NSW President Ian Kamerman said.
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Surgeon to Provide Free Surgical Service at Bourke During 6 Month Trial
The Rural Doctors Association of NSW (RDA NSW) has welcomed a decision by the Greater Western Area Health Service (GWAHS) to allow Bathurst-based surgeon, Dr Neil Meulman, to provide a free fly-in-fly-out surgical service at Bourke Hospital under a six month trial.
Since June 2007, Dr Meulman has been offering to commence the much-needed service at the new hospital in Bourke. Following ongoing advocacy by Dr Meulman and RDA NSW on the need for such a service, GWAHS recently agreed to a six month trial of surgical services at the hospital.
Rural doctors reject findings of Pambula obstetrics report
Acting President of RDA NSW, Dr Ian Kamerman, said the Association does not accept the findings of the Bega Valley Maternity Services Review report released last week.
The report recommends the closure of the Pambula maternity unit and consolidation of services at Bega Hospital.
"This decision will lead to a loss of four highly skilled rural doctor obstetricians from the bush in a medically isolated region, with one of the fastest growing populations in NSW" Dr Kamerman said.
"It will lead to greater uncertainty for patients and a decline in overall medical services.
Doctors welcome efforts to keep Bourke maternity unit open
The Rural Doctors Association of NSW (RDA NSW) has welcomed efforts by the Greater Western Area Health Service to keep the Bourke maternity unit open on a part-time basis, at the time of a current shortage of midwives at Bourke Hospital.
The maternity unit at the hospital has been temporarily reduced to a part-time service, following the recent resignation of a midwife and another midwife taking maternity leave.
Greater Western Area Health Service is now attempting to recruit additional midwives to boost numbers at the hospital.
More local doctors resign over Pambula maternity unit closure
Doctors again urge Minister's intervention, as crisis worsens
As the situation surrounding the closure of Pambula Hospitals maternity unit worsens, the Rural Doctors Association of NSW (RDA NSW) is again urging the NSW Health Minister, John Della Bosca, to immediately intervene in the crisis to reverse the closure in the interests of patient safety, and to make a personal visit to Pambula to listen to doctors and patients concerns.