Federal, State and local government leaders have renewed calls for the NSW Government to immediately progress plans for upgrading hospital services to the Blue Mountains, on the eve of a meeting of key stakeholders concerned about the current Katoomba hospital.

Federal Member for Macquarie, Susan Templeman, State Member for Blue Mountains Trish Doyle and Blue Mountains Mayor Mark Greenhill have demanded action and funding for the long-talked about new hospital, committed to by the State Government back in 2018.

“Whatever happened to the NSW Liberal Government’s strategic plan for a ‘One New Hospital’ that was promised to the Blue Mountains in the lead up to the 2019 election? It seems to have been shelved?!” Ms Doyle said.

“Despite claiming it was a priority for many years now, the NSW Government has announced no funding for developing plans, let alone for actual construction.

“Our community and our hard-working health care workers deserve a hospital that is properly funded and resourced and meets the needs of our community. We’ve heard nothing from the NSW Government on this for years.

“I would be wary of any empty promises made by Federal Government candidates and call, yet again, on this inept NSW Government to act! Stop funnelling us all down to Nepean Hospital and build us a new public facility here.

“This Liberal State Government needs to deliver on what it said four years ago was a “top priority” to meet the healthcare needs of local residents, pull its finger out and deliver on a new hospital.”

Mayor Mark Greenhill said Blue Mountains City Council had identified the issue as urgent and had previously entered into a service agreement with NSW Health to identify a mutually beneficial outcome through joint planning.

“A new hospital facility is deeply needed in the Blue Mountains,” Mr Greenhill said.

“The present facilities are ageing. At places they do not meet the standard both staff and patients deserve. This can leads to gaps in the service our community is receiving.

“All too often I hear from residents who have had to be transferred to Nepean because some procedures just cannot be delivered in the Blue Mountains.

“Our community deserves better and so do our hard-working and wonderful hospital staff.”

A forum of key stakeholders to discuss the issue is due to take place on February 2, but Ms Templeman said what local residents want is action on a fit-for-purpose hospital with the services the community needs.

“I don’t know a single person who would say there is no need to rebuild Katoomba Hospital! We don’t really need a public meeting to tell us what they already know. We just need action from the NSW Government and we need action now,” Ms Templeman said.

“We don’t have an MRI. We don’t have adequate orthopaedic or rehabilitation facilities. We don’t have a critical care unit. We don’t have an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and we don’t have surgery 24/7 for emergencies, plus we need much better palliative care and mental health facilities. And the list goes on.

“This Liberal State Government has had more than 10 years to act on this issue. It made an announcement four years ago, and since then all we’ve heard nothing. Yet again Blue Mountains residents are being treated like they can’t tell the difference between a genui