Commonsense demands local rehab unit

May I express my sincere thanks to the Woy Woy Public Hospital Alliance for its persistent support of the Peninsula and Gosford communities in the demand for the urgent return of the rehabilitation unit to where it was created by the community for the community.

This unit was renowned for its very high standard of care and its high success rate.

Such was this standard that families beyond the area, with a member requiring ongoing support and rehabilitation, actually moved the entire family to the Peninsula from Sydney to be able to access this service.

The removal of this facility now finds the Gosford area with exceedingly diminished, inadequate rehabilitation services, and that the unit, now relocated to Kanwal, is unable to cope so that those requiring rehabilitation services are now being redirected to Hornsby or Ryde, where they may be able to be accommodated, if they are lucky!

With population overload, it was an idiotic, ignorant and bureaucratic decision to close this facility at Woy Woy.

Now commonsense simply demands that it be reopened and as soon as possible.

Letter, 23 Aug 2010 Zoe Russell, Umina