In the latest Central Coast Newspapers Video News interview, Member for Gosford, Ms Liesl Tesch, said that she is fighting for both palliative care beds and youth mental health beds in Gosford Hospital.
Ms Tesch said there were currently “zero” beds at Gosford Hospital dedicated to either palliative care or adolescent mental health.
Ms Tesch said they were two of her highest priorities as the Member for Gosford.
She said a stand-alone palliative care facility would be a “really important resource, especially with the voluntary assisted dying bill not in place”.
“To have a lovely place to die is a really important thing that we are lacking in our local community,” she said.
“At the moment we are pressuring the NSW Government to even get palliative care beds in Gosford Hospital.
“We’ve got five at Woy Woy, but none in Wyong and none in Gosford.
“Doctors have to put their patients in under the guise of something else to have that support,” she said.
“So we want somewhere where families are supported and where patients are supported that is safe, so initially we are pushing for beds in the hospital as it is developed, but the long term solution is a stand-alone facility.”
Ms Tesch said there were no adolescent mental health beds in the public system anywhere on the Central Coast.
“Our young people on the Coast have to go to Hornsby, Sydney or Newcastle,” she said.
“I know that youth mental health on the Coast is in dire need of additional support,” she said.
Ms Tesch also discussed her transition from school teacher to local MP, the challenges presented by her vast electorate, and other issues.
Interview by Jackie Pearson in our live Video News Section Series
FaceBook video with Closed Captions for hearing impaired.