My name is Lorraine Koukides;
This is my Story:
This is the fourth pool I will be thrown out of now and I am really stressed, upset & angry.
My story is this: At 2 I was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. At 11 my orthopaedic specialist attempted to correct my scolios with 3 major spinal operations. I was flat on my back for 2 years in the RBH. After many complications (including my patient record file going missing at the RBH-never to be found) I was thrown into rehabilitation at the MS Centre (Dutton Park). After many years using their hydrotherapy pool I was told not to return because I didn't have Multiple Sclerosis. I then started using the Holy Spirit Hospital Hydro pool only to be kicked out of there as well. Then I went to the St Andrews Hydrotherapy Pool and once again kicked out of there. So I went to the Wesley Hydro pool and low and behold its happening again. Where do they expect us to go next....the Brisbane River!!!
They have no idea what it is like to be in a wheelchair.......my only freedom is in the hydro pool.....I exercise, I stretch my muscles and every fibre in my body......my pain eases for a while when I am in the hydro pool. We do not use the pool for recreation or fun but we use it to maintain our quality of life and well-being. We use it out of necessity & a willingness to live.
Well that's my story-the short version that is.
Shouldn't we be putting up banners around the outside of the hydro pool......."SAVE OUR HYDRO POOL"......I am sure the Wesley hospital employees & visitors don't know what Wyvill & the Uniting Church has done.
What about flyers?
Have new teams/reporters been notified to come to the 17/4 meeting-the Courier-Mail, Quest Newspapers, Channel 7, 9 10, ABC, Brisbane Extra-Channel 9, Today-Tonight-Channel 7, A Current Affair-Channel 9, Today Show-9, Sunrise-7, Four Corners-ABC.........etc,etc.
I have written to Wyvill & his cronies but no response.
Have written to Judy Magub-she responded with a "I will let you know when the next meeting date for the Hydro Pool is"?
I have written to the Lord Mayor Campbell Neuwman.......a standard postcard response with a "will look into it for you."
I have written to the Lord Mayoress Lisa Neuwman.........no response.
I have written to Board members of the WRI and the only one that has bothered to respond was Dr David Alcorn..........refer copy of attached letter.
I am still writng letters.
What else can we do besides chaining ourselves to the pool!!!!
Regards,
Lorraine Koukides
Thursday, April 12, 2007
LOSS OF AN ESSENTIAL AND HIGHLY VALUED PIECE OF PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE
The Wesley Hospital’s “East Wing Project” Planning Report describes the location of the proposed new development on the site currently occupied by the hydrotherapy facility.
The statement contained in the planning report that “the proposal to development the East Wing is based on the reduced requirement for the service provided by the hydrotherapy pool in the centre of the site” is a fabrication.
Over 500 people use this vital health facility EVERY week.
The loss of this essential facility will affect patients who use the hydrotherapy facility to assist them in the management of health and well-being, including but not limited to:
- Young children and adults with deformities who are able to exercise and gain some control over their limbs and their muscles;
- Elderly and young patients alike with arthritis who maintain their mobility;
- Wheelchair bound adults and children, paraplegics and quadriplegics who are able to exercise their muscles and maintain a better lifestyle;
- Overweight people who cannot exercise on land;
- Pregnant mothers and mothers-to-be who maintain a healthy antenatal program;
- In-patients who have recently undergone hip, knee or back surgery who are referred to the hydrotherapy centre to assist in their recovery;
- Surgery patients who have recovered from their surgery faster and with greater improvement;
- Outpatients who follow their prescribed exercise program (PEP) provided by their hydro-therapist;
- Cancer patients who maintain an exercise program during their illness
The Wesley’s Mission clearly states:
QUOTE:
The Whole Person - The Wesley Hospital believes that each person is an inseparable unity of body, mind and spirit. We therefore seek to respond to and respect the physical, psychological, social and spiritual dimensions of our patients and co-workers.
Compassion - The Wesley Hospital believes that our highest call is to love one another in the way that Jesus showed that God loves us. The Wesley Hospital also believes that compassion is the highest motive for excellence in what we do. We seek to care for and comfort one another, even when we cannot cure.
Justice - The Wesley Hospital believes that every person, without exception, is of inestimable value because God loves them. The Wesley therefore seeks to promote the kind of justice that recognises and responds to people according to their individual need, and which cares especially about the poor and the weak.
UNQUOTE
The development of the East Wing to provide an additional 74 beds at the cost of the hydrotherapy facility is an injustice to the community who use it regularly, shows a lack of compassion for those who try hard to maintain some level of control over their health and well-being, and demonstrates that the Wesley Hospital (a “not-for-profit” hospital) and the Uniting Church are only interested in serving the “whole” person, providing that person is paying for surgery and a hospital bed, which affords more income to the hospital.
Whilst the hospital management may have “convinced” a few of their staff doctors to change their recovery program for their surgery patients to not include the hydro-pool, many of the experienced doctors are not happy at the loss of the hydrotherapy facility which has been instrumental in the recovery of many thousands of patients to date.
Two other hydro pools in Brisbane have been allowed to close – one at St Andrews War Memorial Hospital and the other at Holy Spirit Brisbane (now Brisbane Private). Many of these patients now use the Wesley Hydro Facility. If the Wesley Hydrotherapy facility is allowed to be bull-dozed, then there will be no other viable option for the over 500 patients who use this vital facility every week.
I personally use the hydro-pool at least 3 times per week, every week, and this allows me to maintain good health and mobility, and also allows me to continue to work, despite my health issues which include kidney failure (I am a dialysis patient) and I also suffer from chronic hip and back pain, and unremitting foot pain due to a condition caused by inflamed tendons. Without access to the hydro-pool, I will not be able to continue my exercise regime and will be in much greater pain with a substantial decrease in my mobility. I doubt that I would be able to continue to work.
The hydrotherapy facility is an important health resource for a very needy group in our community, as it provides the freedom to exercise in water and removes the "weight-bearing" problems of land exercise, not to mention the lack of soreness to the muscles. The Wesley Hydrotherapy Facility is the only facility that provides a deep-water pool (for low-impact deep-water running, etc), as well as a shallow pool (for stretching and using “weights”), which is very important for the various types of exercise. There is no other facility of equal quality available to the Public in a central Brisbane location. Indeed pools such as the one at the Chermside Splash Complex are a disgrace. It is not well maintained and does not include a deep-water pool.
The current hydrotherapy facility at the Wesley also provides easy parking for the disabled and elderly to access the pool.
The loss of this facility without an adequate replacement being immediately available in a central location will have a huge affect both medically and financially on the community it serves and the health system of this State. The majority of those who use the hydrotherapy pool facility will suffer immense setbacks in their standard of health care resulting in many becoming bed-ridden and possibly even hospitalised, and definitely many will need part or full-time nursing.
LACK OF FULL DISCLOSURE BY THE WESLEY HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT TO THE MEDIA AND GENERAL PUBLIC –
Whilst the information is set out in their Planning Report (ra957412_0001.pdf ), in neither the press release issued on Mon 26 Mar 2007, nor during their presentation of their Concept Plan to the public meeting held at the Wesley Auditorium at 7:00pm that same evening, did the Wesley Hospital Management even mention the closure of the hydrotherapy facility. This had to be brought out by questions from the audience once their presentation was completed.
In the case of the media who were provided with the press release, they therefore did not know to question this decision. At the Auditorium that evening, however, as well as local concerned residents, there was a large contingent of hydro pool users present who after calmly sitting through the smoke-screen presentation, questioned this decision with great passion and fervently shared their own particular stories regarding their need for this facility.
The mother of a young man cried as she asked the Wesley Management, “How can I tell him this is being taken away?” Recently, I witnessed this young man who has been coming to the hydro-pool for several months “walk” the length of the shallow pool at the Wesley. What an achievement! He had become a quadriplegic in a traffic accident and the future looked very dim. However, coming to the Wesley Hydro Facility has improved his life greatly and on this day the look on his face and that of his mother’s was far beyond the value of an extra hospital bed or two. How can we possibly allow this vital facility to be taken away?
Submitted by C Wallace 12/04/07.
The statement contained in the planning report that “the proposal to development the East Wing is based on the reduced requirement for the service provided by the hydrotherapy pool in the centre of the site” is a fabrication.
Over 500 people use this vital health facility EVERY week.
The loss of this essential facility will affect patients who use the hydrotherapy facility to assist them in the management of health and well-being, including but not limited to:
- Young children and adults with deformities who are able to exercise and gain some control over their limbs and their muscles;
- Elderly and young patients alike with arthritis who maintain their mobility;
- Wheelchair bound adults and children, paraplegics and quadriplegics who are able to exercise their muscles and maintain a better lifestyle;
- Overweight people who cannot exercise on land;
- Pregnant mothers and mothers-to-be who maintain a healthy antenatal program;
- In-patients who have recently undergone hip, knee or back surgery who are referred to the hydrotherapy centre to assist in their recovery;
- Surgery patients who have recovered from their surgery faster and with greater improvement;
- Outpatients who follow their prescribed exercise program (PEP) provided by their hydro-therapist;
- Cancer patients who maintain an exercise program during their illness
The Wesley’s Mission clearly states:
QUOTE:
The Whole Person - The Wesley Hospital believes that each person is an inseparable unity of body, mind and spirit. We therefore seek to respond to and respect the physical, psychological, social and spiritual dimensions of our patients and co-workers.
Compassion - The Wesley Hospital believes that our highest call is to love one another in the way that Jesus showed that God loves us. The Wesley Hospital also believes that compassion is the highest motive for excellence in what we do. We seek to care for and comfort one another, even when we cannot cure.
Justice - The Wesley Hospital believes that every person, without exception, is of inestimable value because God loves them. The Wesley therefore seeks to promote the kind of justice that recognises and responds to people according to their individual need, and which cares especially about the poor and the weak.
UNQUOTE
The development of the East Wing to provide an additional 74 beds at the cost of the hydrotherapy facility is an injustice to the community who use it regularly, shows a lack of compassion for those who try hard to maintain some level of control over their health and well-being, and demonstrates that the Wesley Hospital (a “not-for-profit” hospital) and the Uniting Church are only interested in serving the “whole” person, providing that person is paying for surgery and a hospital bed, which affords more income to the hospital.
Whilst the hospital management may have “convinced” a few of their staff doctors to change their recovery program for their surgery patients to not include the hydro-pool, many of the experienced doctors are not happy at the loss of the hydrotherapy facility which has been instrumental in the recovery of many thousands of patients to date.
Two other hydro pools in Brisbane have been allowed to close – one at St Andrews War Memorial Hospital and the other at Holy Spirit Brisbane (now Brisbane Private). Many of these patients now use the Wesley Hydro Facility. If the Wesley Hydrotherapy facility is allowed to be bull-dozed, then there will be no other viable option for the over 500 patients who use this vital facility every week.
I personally use the hydro-pool at least 3 times per week, every week, and this allows me to maintain good health and mobility, and also allows me to continue to work, despite my health issues which include kidney failure (I am a dialysis patient) and I also suffer from chronic hip and back pain, and unremitting foot pain due to a condition caused by inflamed tendons. Without access to the hydro-pool, I will not be able to continue my exercise regime and will be in much greater pain with a substantial decrease in my mobility. I doubt that I would be able to continue to work.
The hydrotherapy facility is an important health resource for a very needy group in our community, as it provides the freedom to exercise in water and removes the "weight-bearing" problems of land exercise, not to mention the lack of soreness to the muscles. The Wesley Hydrotherapy Facility is the only facility that provides a deep-water pool (for low-impact deep-water running, etc), as well as a shallow pool (for stretching and using “weights”), which is very important for the various types of exercise. There is no other facility of equal quality available to the Public in a central Brisbane location. Indeed pools such as the one at the Chermside Splash Complex are a disgrace. It is not well maintained and does not include a deep-water pool.
The current hydrotherapy facility at the Wesley also provides easy parking for the disabled and elderly to access the pool.
The loss of this facility without an adequate replacement being immediately available in a central location will have a huge affect both medically and financially on the community it serves and the health system of this State. The majority of those who use the hydrotherapy pool facility will suffer immense setbacks in their standard of health care resulting in many becoming bed-ridden and possibly even hospitalised, and definitely many will need part or full-time nursing.
LACK OF FULL DISCLOSURE BY THE WESLEY HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT TO THE MEDIA AND GENERAL PUBLIC –
Whilst the information is set out in their Planning Report (ra957412_0001.pdf ), in neither the press release issued on Mon 26 Mar 2007, nor during their presentation of their Concept Plan to the public meeting held at the Wesley Auditorium at 7:00pm that same evening, did the Wesley Hospital Management even mention the closure of the hydrotherapy facility. This had to be brought out by questions from the audience once their presentation was completed.
In the case of the media who were provided with the press release, they therefore did not know to question this decision. At the Auditorium that evening, however, as well as local concerned residents, there was a large contingent of hydro pool users present who after calmly sitting through the smoke-screen presentation, questioned this decision with great passion and fervently shared their own particular stories regarding their need for this facility.
The mother of a young man cried as she asked the Wesley Management, “How can I tell him this is being taken away?” Recently, I witnessed this young man who has been coming to the hydro-pool for several months “walk” the length of the shallow pool at the Wesley. What an achievement! He had become a quadriplegic in a traffic accident and the future looked very dim. However, coming to the Wesley Hydro Facility has improved his life greatly and on this day the look on his face and that of his mother’s was far beyond the value of an extra hospital bed or two. How can we possibly allow this vital facility to be taken away?
Submitted by C Wallace 12/04/07.
Patients Speak...
To the friends of Wesley Hydro group: my name is Michele Besgrove. I have cerebral palsy and I've been going to hydrotherapy for three years. I am one of many clients who has a disability. Each week I travel to the Wesley from Ipswich with a carer. We pass many other pools on the way. None of these other pools are suitable in terms of temperature, access, equipment, or understanding of the needs of people with disabilities. The Ipswich pool is not suitable as it is not deep enough for treading water exercises, also there is no physio instruction or assistance. I feel comfortable using this pool and the staff have always made me feel very welcome. It is essential that I have access to hydrotherapy to keep me moving. The pool visit is not for recreation purposes, it is for physio. Others with disabilities use the pool- cerebral palsy, stroke victims, those recovering from accidents and surgery, muscular dystrophy. Some with disabilities are unable to speak for themselves so i am also writing on behalf of these people as well as myself.
From: Michele Besgrove
From: Michele Besgrove
Patients speak...
I am a concerned user of the Wesley hydro pool, and wish to make a complaint that no thought seems to have been given to the many disabled people who have to have the special treatment and exercises necessary to be able to walk and remain independent, living at home and, as we are told so often, the govt. wants us to remain independent and not a burden to the taxpayer. Therefore why are we to lose the facilities which make this happen? Please, please let us keep our pool.
From: Barbara Stuart
From: Barbara Stuart
Monday, April 9, 2007
Uniting Care Doesn’t Care
Comment received April 2007:Uniting Care has already shown disdain for the frail aged and disabled by closing the hydrotherapy pool at St Andrew’s in 2004 and the Mental Health unit at The We$ley Hospital in 2003-2004. Now the Wesley Hydro pool is closing to make way for progress. Unfortunately I have Cerebral Palsy. My condition isn’t glamorous, doesn’t rate in the PR and marketing stakes. I have already been moved from one pool to another by a hospital that claims to have Chri$tian ideals. Now I’m being told to go to another pool with little public access for someone like me.
The Patients Talk
These are some comments received from patients and hydrotherapy supporters regarding the closure of the Wesley Pool:
Re The closure of the Wesley Pool
Apparently consultation regarding the closure included clinical staff and stakeholders, but I can tell you that my GP and also my orthopedic surgeon, my nurse and my physiotherapists who work at the Hospital had not been consulted when I had my surgery at Wesley earlier in 2007. What form of consultation occurred? Was it transparent? Or was it a process set in motion to achieve the outcome of pool closure?
(S. Summers, Toowong)
I was told last week of the planned closure of the Wesley Hospital. Fate accompli!!! Then I was “interviewed” by a hospital staff member who thought that organizing transport to another pool would solve my problems.
It is more than water that makes a pool. The Wesley has the best and they don’t appreciate it. They want me to accept less than the best and in helping to arrange that are ensuring that they appear to care.
(Anon.)
If you wish to comment, please send your thoughts to savethewesleypool@hotmail.com
Re The closure of the Wesley Pool
Apparently consultation regarding the closure included clinical staff and stakeholders, but I can tell you that my GP and also my orthopedic surgeon, my nurse and my physiotherapists who work at the Hospital had not been consulted when I had my surgery at Wesley earlier in 2007. What form of consultation occurred? Was it transparent? Or was it a process set in motion to achieve the outcome of pool closure?
(S. Summers, Toowong)
I have been attending Wesley Hydro for years. I have a progressive neuromuscular disease. I can still drive, but I spend my days in a wheelchair. It has been suggested that I can attend Royal Brisbane Hospital Hydrotherapy or Sinnamon Village pool. Neither of these pools offer the service I have been receiving at Wesley. Staff come out to the car and help me into a water wheelchair and take me into the pool. After my session they help me dry and wheel me back to the car and assist with my transfer. I pay for treatment and get great value. Where else would I get this service??
(B.E., Indooroopilly)
(B.E., Indooroopilly)
It is more than water that makes a pool. The Wesley has the best and they don’t appreciate it. They want me to accept less than the best and in helping to arrange that are ensuring that they appear to care.
(Anon.)
If you wish to comment, please send your thoughts to savethewesleypool@hotmail.com
Hospitals not just about beds
The Wesley Hospital is closing their hydrotherapy pool (declaring it not to be part of their core business) at a time when other well known hospitals have built, are building or continue to support their hydrotherapy units. A quick look on the internet, a few phone calls and yellow pages produced the following list of hospitals with pools. Some of these are public hospitals, some of these are private and some are rehabilitation hospitals. Some are church hospitals and some are not. I am wondering what criteria was used to assess the value of hydrotherapy and the hydro pool at Wesley. Obviously these hospitals have a different yard stick to the one wielded by Gerry Wyvill. Mr Wyvill basically stood up at last week’s public meeting and said that Hydro was not an asset. Is this hospital only interested in dollars? Health Care and hospitals should not just be about beds.
Hospitals with pools include:
Brisbane/Qld: The Royal Brisbane Hospital, The Royal Childrens Hospital, Princess Alexander Hospital, Noosa Hospital, Gold Coasts’ Allamanda Private Hospital, Maryborough Hospital.
Adelaide/SA: Flinders Medical Centre, Daw Park Repatriation Hospital, Griffith private Hospital, College Grove Private Hospital, The Womens and Children Hospital.
Sydney/ NSW: Westmead Hospital, Prince of Wales Hospital, Royal North Shore Hospital, Mt Wilga Hospital, Metropolitan Rehab Hospital, Royal Rehab, Royal Newcastle Hospital, Sydney Adventist Hospital, Blue Mountains District Anzac memorial Hospital, Albury Base Hospital, The Sydney Private Hospital, War memorial Hospital, Dalcross Private Hospital, Lady Davisdson Private Hospital, Mt Wilga Hospital, Bathurst Hospital, St Georges Hospital, Mona Vale Hospital, Tamworth Hospital, Hunters Hill Private Hospital, Wolper Jewish Hospital, Coffs Harbour Hospital, Ramsay Health/Baringa (Coff’s Harbour) Southern Highlands Private Hospital Bowral, Hornsby Hospital, Presidents Private Hospital, Nowra Hospital, Lismore Private Hospital, Woy Woy Hospital, Gosford Private Hospital, Hirondelle Private Hospital, Bowral Hospital, Lourdes Hospital (Under repair).
Melbourne/Vic: Sunshine Hospital, Bethesda Hospital, Donvale Hospital, St John of God Hospital Bendigo, Mildura Base Hospital, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital, Nepean Hospital, St Vincents Hospital, Katoomba Hospital, Latrobe Regional Hospital, Hopetoun Hospital, Cooma Hospital.
Perth: Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital, The Princess Margaret Children’s Hospital, St John of God Hospital Bunbury, The St John of God Hospital Murdoch, Osborne Park Hospital Stirling, Kaleeya Hospital East Fremantle.
Hospitals with pools include:
Brisbane/Qld: The Royal Brisbane Hospital, The Royal Childrens Hospital, Princess Alexander Hospital, Noosa Hospital, Gold Coasts’ Allamanda Private Hospital, Maryborough Hospital.
Adelaide/SA: Flinders Medical Centre, Daw Park Repatriation Hospital, Griffith private Hospital, College Grove Private Hospital, The Womens and Children Hospital.
Sydney/ NSW: Westmead Hospital, Prince of Wales Hospital, Royal North Shore Hospital, Mt Wilga Hospital, Metropolitan Rehab Hospital, Royal Rehab, Royal Newcastle Hospital, Sydney Adventist Hospital, Blue Mountains District Anzac memorial Hospital, Albury Base Hospital, The Sydney Private Hospital, War memorial Hospital, Dalcross Private Hospital, Lady Davisdson Private Hospital, Mt Wilga Hospital, Bathurst Hospital, St Georges Hospital, Mona Vale Hospital, Tamworth Hospital, Hunters Hill Private Hospital, Wolper Jewish Hospital, Coffs Harbour Hospital, Ramsay Health/Baringa (Coff’s Harbour) Southern Highlands Private Hospital Bowral, Hornsby Hospital, Presidents Private Hospital, Nowra Hospital, Lismore Private Hospital, Woy Woy Hospital, Gosford Private Hospital, Hirondelle Private Hospital, Bowral Hospital, Lourdes Hospital (Under repair).
Melbourne/Vic: Sunshine Hospital, Bethesda Hospital, Donvale Hospital, St John of God Hospital Bendigo, Mildura Base Hospital, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital, Nepean Hospital, St Vincents Hospital, Katoomba Hospital, Latrobe Regional Hospital, Hopetoun Hospital, Cooma Hospital.
Perth: Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital, The Princess Margaret Children’s Hospital, St John of God Hospital Bunbury, The St John of God Hospital Murdoch, Osborne Park Hospital Stirling, Kaleeya Hospital East Fremantle.
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