The " phantom " hospital.

It seems that Bulli is Wollongong's " Claytons hospital " - the hospital you have when you are not having a hospital !

It has beds and nurses - and operating theatres - but now those operating theatres are only in use occasionally and for one type of procedure - Ophthalmic treatment.

Despite a union ban, equipment to fit out the theatres at Shellharbour hospital was procured from hospitals other than Bulli and the two other Bulli specialities have been transferred to Shellharbour.

So we have the ridiculous situation of a fine hospital not being used - but with staff and facilities that are badly needed to reduce patient backlogs. All that waste will continue because the state government is fearful of announcing an unpopular decision to close the facility - which now seems inevitable anyway.

There is some merit in closing Bulli if it means expanding Shellharbour. The south is where the population growth is occurring - but what is happening now is a clear case of wasting money - and putting patients at risk - because of politics taking preference over reality.

The risk is that a lack of decision making will allow this farce to go on indefinitely - and badly needed health system money will be expended for no gain !