Orange and Bathurst Hospital project managers handed $275m Wagga Wagga Hospital redevelopment

"Surely the incompetence exhibited in the disastrous development of Bathurst Base and Orange hospitals should have rung warning bells with Ms Meagher and NSW Health," Ms Rhiannon.

"The Health Minister must explain how Capital Insight, with its incompetent record on Orange and Bathurst Base hospitals, has been let loose on another multi-million dollar public hospital redevelopment.

"The management by Capital Insight of the Orange hospital redevelopment has been flawed, with structural and design programs and inadequate consultation with clinicians.

"Bathurst Base Hospital also has serious design and construction problems requiring major remediation, including undersized wards and inadequate alarm systems.

"In announcing the winning tender, NSW Health left the redevelopment of Orange and Bathurst Base hospitals off the list of works completed by Capital Insight over the last decade.

"Presumably NSW Health was aware the decision to award Capital Insight the contract would be controversial in the eyes of the public.

"By signing off on this contract, Minister Reba Meagher shows she has her eye off the ball and has not learnt the lessons of the Orange or Bathurst Base hospital redevelopment.

"The real risk is that the mistakes of Orange and Bathurst hospitals will be replicated in Wagga Wagga, resulting in completely inadequate facilities for patients and compromised occupational health and safety conditions for hospital workers.

“The Greens call on Premier Iemma to cancel all hospital public private partnerships.

"The use by the government of PPPs to build major public infrastructure like hospitals risks delivery of substandard facilities," Ms Rhiannon said.

For more information: 9230 3551, 0427 861 568
NSW Health announcement: http://www.gsahs.nsw.gov.au/page.asp?t=mr&p=987
Capital Insight website: http://www.capitalinsight.com.au/index/index.html

[via Lee Rhiannon Media Release Friday 16 May 2008 link]