A doctor is not always in the house at the new Bulli Hospital's urgent care centre, with some patients told to return at different times or divert to Wollongong Hospital's emergency department.
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A concerned resident contacted the Mercury about the situation, which has Labor's health spokesman Ryan Park irate.
The $54 million Bulli Hospital and Aged Care Centre only opened in August, with an Urgent Care Centre that operates from 7am to 10pm every day.
A registered nurse and a medical officer should be on duty during those times, to treat patients who present with minor illnesses and injuries. However the concerned resident said a doctor was not always available.
Keira MP Ryan Park said: "I want to make sure the government prioritises staffing at Bulli Hospital as the community missed out for too long on a properly resourced health facility.
"Local residents and I fought really hard in advocating for this new facility but it's not about a flash new building, the government has to make sure there is adequate staffing and resources to ensure the community receives the health care it deserves.
"I will be monitoring this situation carefully and if needed I will seek a meeting with the Health Minister to ensure our local health district is getting the staffing that's needed to provide a high level of health care to our community."
Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District Northern Illawarra Hospital Group general manager Nicole Sheppard said there was a highly qualified team of RNs at the centre.
"Bulli Hospital continues to have its ward doctor on duty as normal to manage the hospital's inpatients," she said. "From time to time there are shortages in the availability of doctors at the Urgent Care Centre.
"Hospital management makes every effort to fill all shifts, however as with many workplaces, school holidays and long weekends are particularly popular for leave and filling shifts can sometimes be challenging."
Ms Sheppard said patients could be redirected to Wollongong Hospital or their nearest medical centre if a doctor was unavailable. In an emergency, patients were transferred to Wollongong via ambulance.
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