Community Voices vs. Health Executives Rhetoric.

In our community, the need for a functional, well-funded, and adequately staffed hospital on a single site is urgent. However, we are continually subjected to empty rhetoric, misinformation, a lack of transparency, and a conspicuous absence of community engagement. The appointed leaders often display either a Pollyanna attitude, urging us to be grateful for whatever morsels they deign to provide or ‘secure’ for us, or the very worst parts of Colonel Nathan Jessup in a Few Good Men.

Recently, as reported in my local newspaper, a senior health executive responsible for overseeing the capital redevelopment at our health service withdrew from speaking at the Health Facilities Design and Development Summit scheduled for March 2023 in Sydney. This event was supposed to address the challenges of consolidating two hospital sites into a single location, with a presentation covering topics like intricate community consultations, design considerations, and lessons learned in hospital planning. However, given our health service's track record, it's difficult to take their collective claims of success in these matters seriously, let alone their commitment to community consultations and engagement, if it wasn’t so infuriating id laugh.

Despite the community's desire and lobbying efforts for a single-site hospital, the reality is that we are not receiving what we need and to claim we are is outright disinformation. There is no indication of support from higher-ups in the health service for this much-needed project. Instead, we are faced with a $588 million redevelopment plan that fails to meet our community's needs by probably about half. The assertion that comprehensive community consultation took place is, at best, misleading; they simply hired consultants and set up booths in shopping centres – is that even consultation?

The decision to withdraw from the conference was not an isolated incident but rather a response to concerns raised by local residents. These concerns highlighted the inaccuracy of the presentation's description, which did not reflect the community's sentiments or align with what the health service had been promoting to our community. I wholeheartedly agree with this perspective.

The health service provided no indication or evidence of their intent to withdraw from the conference until residents brought it to public attention. This suggests a planned attendance at the conference.

The health service, left with few alternatives, acknowledged these concerns and attempted to clarify that the conference topic they advertised was inaccurately described. This revelation should not come as a surprise.

They claim to have expressed reservations about the proposed topic as early as November 2023, yet no amendments were made and no attempts to withdraw. Frankly, I find this explanation questionable. The burden of proof rests with them to substantiate their claim, which I suspect they will fail to do. It is hard to believe that a conference charging thousands of dollars per ticket would not rigorously verify the accuracy of its speakers. It fails the pub test miserably.?

Many members of our local health community have welcomed this withdrawal and the recognition of our concerns, emphasising the importance of prioritising the community's needs beyond soundbites. Communities should not have to fight for our voices to be heard, and health services should be more responsive and accountable to the communities they serve.

What continues to trouble me is why incidents like this always seem to astonish health executives. They consistently deflect blame, pointing fingers elsewhere, and labelling it as a big misunderstanding. It is perplexing that a major conference could go unnoticed, especially since senior service executives should be well-informed and diligent. This is in fact a core legal requirement under rules of good governance.

Why do administrative errors always take the blame, while senior professionals evade responsibility with superficial regrets once deception is exposed? This goes against corporate laws that specify executive directors cannot simply shift blame. As a society, we should not tolerate such shallow excuses from public health services.

Accountability and transparency should be the pillars of our healthcare system to ensure the well-being of our communities.