Page welcomes hospital funding announcement
February 21, 2011
Member for Ballina Don Page has welcomed the Liberals’ and Nationals’ funding announcement for Stage 3 of the Lismore Base Hospital and the new Central Byron Shire Hospital at Ewingsdale.
“To have this commitment for both projects is extremely exciting for the health services in the Northern Rivers region,” Mr Page said.
“The statewide pledge of $3 billion for health infrastructure includes $7.5 million to cost stage 3 at Lismore Base Hospital and $1 million to get the Central Byron Shire Hospital shovel-ready.
“Both of these hospital projects have been on the drawing board for many years. The NSW Liberals’ and Nationals’ commitment will see these important health infrastructure projects a step closer to becoming reality.”
Planning for the new Byron Shire Central Hospital continues, with the Byron Shire Council now collating public submissions relating to the rezoning of the site.
Mobile breast screening van to return to Ballina, Byron Bay
November 3, 2010
Ballina MP Don Page MP today welcomed a decision by the North Coast Area Health Service to put the mobile breast screening van back into Ballina and Byron Bay.
“I am very pleased that after lobbying for so long to once again have a mobile breast screening van to enable women in Ballina and Byron Bay to be screened, it will happen,” Mr Page said.
“It is anticipated the mobile van will be in Ballina and Byron Bay next January. Women who have difficulty accessing the fixed screening units at Lismore or Tweed Heads can be screened locally in Ballina and Byron Bay at that time.
“The change of heart by NCAHS follows sustained lobbying by the community, their representatives and a meeting a few weeks ago with NCAHS where Federal Member for Page, Janelle Saffin, myself and local women from Ballina made the case for a return of the mobile breast screening unit to Ballina, Byron Bay and Casino.
“Early detection of breast cancer saves thousands of lives. The mobile breast screening vans will be a big factor in early detection.”
Another step towards Lismore’s GP Super Clinic
October 28, 2010
Page MP Janelle Saffin said she is delighted that the Australian Government is already moving on delivering her 2010 election commitment of a GP Super Clinic for Lismore.
The Minister for Health and Ageing, Nicola Roxon, today announced that the Invitation to Apply (ITA) process will begin on 6 November, with advertisements to appear in local and national papers.
Ms Saffin said the Lismore GP Super Clinic will provide comprehensive healthcare in Lismore at one convenient location.
“Lismore is a regional hub for health and I have fought hard along with the community to get this facility,” she said.
Saffin announces new teaching centre for St Vincent’s Hospital
October 13, 2010
Page MP Janelle Saffin has announced Australian Government funding of $884,414 for a state-of-the-art teaching and learning centre at St Vincent’s Private Hospital in Lismore.
Ms Saffin said the grant would allow St Vincent’s to establish a modern, professional teaching and learning centre by doubling the size of its existing conference centre.
“The new centre will benefit students and professionals in the disciplines of nursing, medicine, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and mental health,” Ms Saffin said.
“I congratulate St Vincent’s Private Hospital for taking the lead on a project that will further enhance Lismore’s reputation as an innovative university city.
Pinevale Villas hosts Seniors Expo
August 18, 2010
Pinevale Villas, at 1 Star Avenue, Goonellabah, will host its second Seniors Expo on Thursday 16th September, from 10am to 2pm.
The Expo theme this year is’Ageing Well’ and will feature a monster book sale organised by Pinevale residents and staff, with the proceeds from the sale of all pre-loved books going to the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service.
‘Ageing Well’ is all about showcasing some of the opportunities that now exist for older people and their families, who want access to information and services that help in continuing to enjoy a good quality of life.
More than 40 community organisations, private businesses and health promotion practitioners have booked in for the event, together with entertainers.
New incentives to attract and keep doctors in Page
July 1, 2010
Page MP Janelle Saffin has welcomed the new Australian Government initiatives being rolled out from today (July 1) that will attract and keep doctors in the local area.
Ms Saffin said the Government has changed the classification of rural and remote areas and now Lismore, Alstonville, Ballina, Wardell and Wollongbar have been included in the list of areas that can offer incentives to attract and keep GPs.
“I lobbied for these local centres to be included, and worked with local doctor Andrew Binns to push for these changes which have now been delivered,” she said.
“This means that the all of the Page electorate is now eligible to offer incentives to attract and keep GPs.
Tweed Valley Services gets $50,000 in dementia funding
April 21, 2010
Richmond MP and Minister for Ageing Justine Elliot has announced that Tweed Valley Services Inc will receive $50,000 as part of $3.5 million in grants to fund community projects to provide support and raise awareness for people with dementia and their families.
It is estimated that more than 245,000 Australians have dementia, and nearly one million family members and friends help care for them.
“The $50,000 funding for the North Coast will support people with dementia, their families and carers,” Mrs Elliot said.
Tweed Valley Services Inc will receive $50,000 for the Living Life Well pilot project.
Lismore Base Hospital gets $9.1m cancer-care boost
April 13, 2010
The Rudd Government will invest $9.1 million to enhance cancer services at Lismore Base Hospital as part of a North Coast Cancer Institute Regional Cancer Service.
With some cancers, patients from rural areas are up to three times more likely to die within five years of diagnosis than their counterparts in urban areas.
The $9.1 million investment in Lismore will work towards improving the services and care for the more than 32,000 NSW residents diagnosed with cancer each year.
The Government will provide $6.5 million to commission a second linear accelerator and a Positron Emissions Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) scanner at Lismore Base Hospital.
Ballina schoolgirl lobbies Canberra for diabetes research funding
March 20, 2010
Ballina girl Sarah Moore was one of 110 Youth Ambassadors for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) in Canberra this week, lobbying for funding for type 1 diabetes research.
Page MP Janelle Saffin met Sarah and her mother, Denise, in her Parliamentary office on Thursday morning and then joined them at the Kids in the House lunch with the other youth ambassadors, their supporters and many Members of Parliament.
Ms Saffin said in the electorate of Page there are more than 950 young people with type 1 diabetes,
“Australia has one of the highest rates of type 1 diabetes in the world, and the rate of new cases in children is increasing by 3 per cent a year,” she said.
Saffin lobbies hard for enhanced cancer care and accommodation
March 18, 2010
Page MP Janelle Saffin is lobbying hard in Canberra on two submissions which would vastly improve care for cancer patients across the North Coast and provide low-cost accommodation for them and their carers while in Lismore.
Ms Saffin this week met with Federal Minister for Health and Ageing Nicola Roxon to discuss a $57.8 million Regional Cancer Centres Initiative-North Coast Cancer Institute and a $2.6 million ‘Our House’-Lismore Cancer Patient and Carer Accommodation project.
