Save the R.A.H.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Hello to all friends of the RAH.

It is time that all South Australians and friends of the Royal Adelaide Hospital had the opportunity to air their views about the plan to close the RAH and build a new institution.

As chairman of the SAVE THE RAH ACTION GROUP, I invite you to add your thoughts.

Let the debate begin!

James Katsaros.

Chairman's speech at rally on 4/2/2009

SAVE THE RAH MEETING

WEDNESDAY, 4 FEBRUARY 2009

Fellow workers and friends of the Royal Adelaide Hospital. This is an amazing and serious demonstration of what this place means to our community. About 300 people have turned up today and many who could not be here, have sent their good wishes and support. A little example from Mrs Dolless, “I am 88 and my husband 84, we support you and your Committee.” Many of you were disappointed that you didn’t have a chance to be with us three weeks ago, when this campaign erupted. Events moved so quickly that there was no opportunity to do so but now, we must unite and fight for our right to speak. We must tell everyone and especially our government that this proposal is a big mistake. We know it is a huge mistake, for the simple reason that it is a world recognised health institution and we don’t want to close it. Put it elsewhere and it will never be the same.

Everyone here has specific reasons for wanting to keep the hospital but I will briefly list the Committee’s reasons.

1. The traditions of high quality patient care dating back more than 150 years. Irreplaceable.

2. We save tax payers’ money by taking the preferred option to redevelop and rebuild the RAH. Money is left over to spend on the QEH, FMC and other services. We don’t want another State Bank or Remm-Myer disaster.

3. The RAH needs the new accommodation wing now. It would be the jewel in the crown after rebuild of the ED, Intensive Care Unit, Burns Unit and Renal Dialysis Unit. It is about fiscal responsibility.

4. There are established networks of undergraduate and post-graduate teaching. Priceless.

5. There are unique benefits in having the RAH, the IMVS, the Medical and Dental School, University of Adelaide and the Hanson Research Institute on one campus. This health science hub is the envy of health professionals all over the world. It would be wrong to throw away this asset. If Mr Hill said “bowl over the Flinders Medical Centre”, it would be wrong for the same reasons.

6. The importance of the RAH brand speaks for itself. Priceless.

It’s been said that we have come forward for political reasons. That is strongly denied. Let me ask by a show of hands who is here for political reasons? Raise your hands. None. We would be opposed if this was put up by the Greens, Liberal or Labor or anybody else.

In opposition, parties say they want to listen, in government, they don’t consult. Does anyone here know of any person who was consulted before the decision was made to close the RAH? We on the Committee, have asked that question and know of no such person. If you do, come forward, because you are a rare bird. What other review, consultative process or due diligence was carried out beforehand? None that we have seen or heard about.

Government says that it has to govern. We say, give us the tour down under, even give us the tramline but don’t take away the best investment of our health portfolio, the jewel in the crown.

It is said that we can’t rebuild RAH. There’ll be too much inconvenience and dust – we say that’s bulldust, we’ve done it before and it will have to be done again wherever a hospital is. People are not soft. Patients and RAH staff are not soft. That is a weak excuse compared with losing the jewel in the crown.

We ask that the government put an end to secrecy, confidentiality agreements and the denigration of health workers and staff. Let’s start the process all over again in a rational way, employing all the resources that South Australians have to offer. Let the government consult widely and transparently with experts and with ordinary citizens. To help focus our concerns, our Committee wishes to present a number of resolutions for you to consider and to vote on. These have been distributed amongst you and what I will do is firstly read them all out together and then come back to them individually for voting.

RESOLUTION 1:
We request that the SA Government reverse its decision to close the RAH

RESOLUTION 2:
We request that the RAH redevelopment be re-started NOW

RESOLUTION 3:
We request that the SA Government give answers to the questions:

· Who recommended a new hospital?
· What are their names?
· And by which process was this decision made?

RESOLUTION 4:
· We request that the South Australian Government agree to a public debate and discussion about closure of RAH

· We invite the Minister of Health to a public discussion in two weeks’ time in the Robson Theatre, RAH or at a time of his choosing in the near future

I thank you for your supreme efforts in gathering here today and in helping us to get our message to government. We will write to the Minister of Health and ask for his response.

To further strengthen our support for the Royal Adelaide Hospital, please sign the petition that is circulating and do whatever you can, to assist our cause. Talk to others, ask for public discussion. Write to your MPs. Telephone your MPs. Keep asking questions. I know you will do this respectfully and earnestly and do the RAH proud. SAVE THE RAH and let us have three cheers for the RAH….. Long live the RAH.

Save the RAH Action Group policy statement

“SAVE THE RAH” ACTION GROUP

More than 12 months ago, the South Australian government announced that a new hospital would be built at the western end of North Terrace, one kilometre from the RAH. The RAH would cease to exist and be demolished. The government had prepared these plans in relative secrecy, made its announcement without public discussion and deployed the bureaucracy to proceed with detailed planning.

In the months that followed, the public and the medical profession have remained relatively silent. Many RAH staff did not believe that the plan would proceed but they are not now so sanguine. Therefore, SavetheRAH campaign is seeking public debate, having expressed genuine concern about this decision.

We ask the following questions.

1 Was this decision made as a result of a formal review or enquiry?

2 Why has the next stage of the RAH redevelopment (a new patient accommodation tower) been abandoned so soon after the completion of a new world class Intensive Care Unit, Emergency Department and Burns Unit?

3 What is the fate of an estimated $700 million in RAH bequests and Commissioner of Charitable Funds?

4 Why was the medical profession not widely consulted?

5 Why was there no consultation with staff of the Royal Adelaide Hospital?

It is apparent that the existing institution can be refurbished and rejuvenated. It was done in the 1960s when a larger RAH was rebuilt on site without major problems. Royal Prince Alfred Hospital has just completed such a task.
An action group to save the RAH has been formed. We are seeking support to create wider community debate and to reflect upon the qualities of what we believe is an iconic institution.

1 Patient care – High quality health care dating back more than 150 years.

There has always been an uncompromising commitment to serve the sick and needy people of South Australia. There is no good reason to risk this irreplaceable legacy. The RAH never closes!

2 Teaching.

The University of Adelaide Medical School has grown up next door to the RAH, whose motto is “sevire ac docere”, embodying the concept of service through teaching. The University remains very dependent on the RAH and its staff for undergraduate teaching

3 Proximity of the RAH to the following speaks for itself:

(a) University of Adelaide and Uni SA
(b) The Medical School
(c) Hanson Research Centre
(d) Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science

4 Research and the unique benefits of the RAH campus.

The juxtaposition of the RAH, IMVS and relevant departments of the University of Adelaide on the present North Terrace/Frome Road site has encouraged and enabled a collaboration between clinical, laboratory and academic personnel, resulting in the campus becoming a leading focus of research in Australia. The 2006 report of Professor Judith Whitworth (1) acknowledged the unique properties of the present RAH site as contributing to the success of the Hanson Institute in joining the top rank of Australian research institutes and becoming “a flagship for medical research in South Australia”.

The Hanson Institute arose from an independent review by Pennington and Fraenkel (2) which recommended that a research centre should be developed as part of the IMVS/RAH campus because the benefits of a separate centre would be diminished by the separation of research and service functions. All departments in the RAH conduct either laboratory or clinical research with the Hanson Institute and IMVS as they are co-located.

5 The importance of the brand name.

The Royal Adelaide Hospital has an international reputation for excellence in medical care, research and teaching that has been built up over many decades. It is this “brand name” which attracts the best staff and encourages visitors from within Australia and overseas who foster and fertilise new clinical and research concepts. The impact of its loss cannot be overemphasised.

Summary

We believe that the majority of our colleagues prefer that the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) be redeveloped on its present site and that this view is shared by the public (3). These opinions are undoubtedly influenced by the fact that the RAH is already undergoing a process of redevelopment – partly funded by a government approved public appeal in 2001 – and by the prospect of the loss of the culture of the institution built up over the past 150 years

References:

1. Hanson Institute: Review of Research. Whitworth J (2006)
2. Review of Research, RAH/IMVS. Penington D, Fraenkel G (1986)
3. Opinion poll, The Advertiser (2008)

James Katsaros
Director
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Royal Adelaide Hospital

Save the R.A.H.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Support our cause

Should the RAH be rebuilt/renovated at its present site? (Poll start date 17/2/09)

Sample letter to MP

Link list

Chairman's speech at rally on 4/2/2009

Save the RAH Action Group policy statement

Hello to all friends of the RAH