Jobs 'guaranteed' under proposal

by Caitlyn Patman - Geraldton Guardian - 12/01/2012

"Geraldton Regional Hospital jobs would be guaranteed under any proposal to co-locate with St John of God, according to the WA Country Health Service."

        Jobs ‘guaranteed’ under proposal

        Geraldton Regional Hospital jobs would be guaranteed under any proposal to co-locate with St John of God, according to the WA Country Health Service. 

        Acting regional director Mid West, Graham Coleman, said all permanent health staff at the Geraldton Regional Hospital were guaranteed employment in the event of any change.

        St John of God Geraldton acting CEO, Mark Grime, said on the basis of the Bunbury health campus experience he would expect more jobs to be created for St John of God as services grow and expand under co-location.

        He said conversations on staffing arrangements at this early stage, and in the absence of any decision to co-locate, would be purely hypothetical.

        It is believed that financial considerations have played a large factor in discussions toward co-location.

        It’s understood that St John of God Geraldton has been operating for a considerable time at 50 per cent capacity with Geraldton Regional Hospital at full capacity.

        A St John of God Geraldton official is believed to have told Health Minister Kim Hames in June last year that “everything was on the table” in relation to the hospital’s future.

        It is also believed the official used that June meeting to sound out State Government interest on the Hermitage facility, but at the time the hospital was told it would need to make its own decisions on the facility’s future.

        At that meeting the official maintained the organisation had a long-term commitment to the area, wanted to stay, and considered it a growing area.

        Last year Premier Colin Barnett and State Health Minister Kim Hames expressed concern over the state of the Geraldton Regional Hospital.

        St John of God Hospital has operated in Geraldton since 1935. 

         

        Witten by Caitlyn Patman

        Picture by Gary Warner

More Details: http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/regional/gascoyne/a/-/news/12556416/radical-plan-to-merge-hospitals/