Hospital spin does not deceive

Marie Andrews, Member for Gosford, wishes to introduce other medical services into the Woy Woy Public Hospital Rehabilitation building "in order to improve services to our community" (Peninsula News, June 7, 2010).

This language is a tired old "spin", the same as used by banks and other institutions when they close branches.

Sadly, it is the same "spin" used recently by our Council when it closed libraries on the weekend, thus robbing the community of services.

Further, our rehabilitation service has not been "relocated" as Ms Andrews claims.

It has been shut down.

Attempts to combine our service with Wyong have proved futile.

Substitute arrangements are cumbersome, impractical and inhumane, and have provoked widespread complaint.

A modern educated community is not deceived or placated by the language of "spin".

Our local member would be well advised to cease mouthing the health department's platitudes, to dispute the matter with the Minister and support those of her constituents who will not rest until Woy Woy Hospital is treated as a hospital and not a cluster of ancillary services.

Fax, 16 Jun 2010 Ivan Kinny, Woy Woy Public Hospital Alliance