Wee Waa Hospital beset by leadership instability, operational failings, review finds
Wee Waa Hospital has been operating under reduced hours since 2023 due to staffing shortages.
The public hospital, operated by the Hunter New England Health (HNEH), is open from 8am until 5:30pm, forcing locals to travel 40 kilometres to Narrabri to seek after-hours medical treatment.
Following intense lobbying from the community and Barwon MP Roy Butler, state Health Minister Ryan Park announced in February that a review would be undertaken.
Four independent health experts released their findings on Friday and noted "serious leadership instability" within the hospital that had led to a "deterioration of workplace culture".
The review made 20 recommendations, including moving to a single-service model that covered the Wee Waa and Narrabri health campuses to improve leadership and recruitment.
It also recommended reinstating a palliative care bed in the hospital and updating the emergency department to an urgent care model.
The report described the urgent care model as a "nurse-led model that ensures expert triage, assessment while maintaining flexibility and accessibility for patients."
Mr Butler said the findings vindicated the feelings residents had about the health service.
"The community has some long-held concerns about culture and around staffing within the hospital and services available out of Wee Waa," he said.
Mr Butler highlighted the recommendation to update the ED to an urgent care model as a "crucial decision".
"An urgent care model is easier to staff and it will remove confusion about what services are available in Wee Waa," he said.
Narrabri Mayor Darell Tiemans welcomed the review with cautious optimism.
"It's a step in the right direction," he said.
"We absolutely welcome the fact that there is recommendations … but it's still the only hospital in Australia that closes at 5:30pm."
Cr Tiemans hoped the report would lead to positive change for the community of 3,000 people.
"This report has identified that the community really does need a hospital here," he said.
Mr Butler said he would work with the state government to ensure change occurred as quickly as possible.
"The next stage is the implementation plan, where the rubber hits the road and we actually see action," he said.
A time-frame for the implementation of the recommendations is yet to be finalised.
Hunter New England Health chief executive Tracey McCosker also welcomed the review.
"This review provides us with a valuable opportunity to strengthen how care is delivered in Wee Waa, now and into the future," she said in a statement.
"Our immediate focus is on recruitment and we'll be launching a new campaign shortly.
"At the same time, we're beginning planning and community consultation to progress the broader recommendations."
Mr Park said he recognised the need for change.
"While there is more work to be done, I know we're on the right track," he said in a statement.
"I look forward to seeing Hunter New England Local Health District work closely with the Wee Waa community as they develop and implement their response to the recommendations."
Narrabri councillor Ethan Towns was born at the hospital in Wee Waa and said the last few years had been a "nightmare" for the town.
"It's been a level of stagnation — it's been terrible," he said.
"We have been left for so long without any knowledge if anything is going to change, the fence came in [around the hospital] and we thought it was going to close."
Cr Towns was involved in the "Save Wee Waa Hospital" petition, which received more than 10,000 signatures.
Mr Tiemans praised the community for helping to ensure the review took place.
"This community has been amazing … I'm immensely proud," he said.
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Adriana walks past volunteer HQ, which houses a kitchen-cum-office. ( ABC Science: Anna Salleh ) Adriana heads to the kitchen to get Joni's breakfast. The walls are adorned with colourful turtle-themed mosaics. (ABC Science: Anna Salleh) It's important to know how much the patients are eating as part of getting them well enough to be released. ( ABC Science: Anna Salleh ) It's important to know how much the patients are eating as part of getting them well enough to be released. (ABC Science: Anna Salleh) Joni loves her squid but is a fussy eater. ( ABC Science: Anna Salleh ) High-protein squid will help Joni gain weight before being released back into the wild. (ABC Science: Anna Salleh) Volunteers keep detailed records of their patients. ( ABC Science: Anna Salleh ) Volunteers keep detailed records of what happens on their shifts. (ABC Science: Anna Salleh) Joni is a little fussy, preferring squid over prawns, and especially likes being tantalised by squid tentacles, Adriana says. 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But his main job in the hospital is to look after infrastructure, which includes keeping the seawater in the tanks circulating, clean and at the right temperature — to avoid "turtle soup" in the north Queensland summer. Paul Groves smiling at the camera. ( ABC Science: Anna Salleh ) Paul Groves helped found the clinic. (ABC Science: Anna Salleh) Paul is always perfecting the filtration system to reduce the amount of seawater he has to pump up from the beach, which he describes as his "least favourite job". ( ABC Science: Anna Salleh ) Paul's responsible for keeping the seawater circulating and filtered. With a background in aquariums, it's a system he's always trying to perfect. (ABC Science: Anna Salleh) This colourful header tank put in with community help holds seawater pumped up from the nearby beach. ( ABC Science: Anna Salleh ) The better job he does at filtration, the less seawater he has to pump up from the beach to this header tank, something he describes as his "least favourite job". (ABC Science: Anna Salleh) Adult green sea turtles can take four to six people to lift, says Paul. To help cope with bigger patients the hospital got a grant to install a crane to lift bigger patients. ( ABC Science: Anna Salleh ) Paul recently got a grant to install a crane to lift adult green sea turtles, which can otherwise take four to six people to lift. (ABC Science: Anna Salleh) Adults sea turtles can weigh hundreds of kilograms. Here Paul shows a small and large harness that can be used to transfer rescued turtles to the hospital. ( ABC Science: Anna Salleh ) These small and large harnesses are used to transfer rescued turtles from the beach to the clinic. (ABC Science: Anna Salleh) Paul helped establish MINT in 2012 to rescue turtles like Boris and Joni and nurse them back to health so they could be released again to the wild. Back then, countless starving and weak sea turtles washed up on the beaches around Townsville after Cyclone Yasi destroyed the seagrass beds they grazed on. The impact of Yasi also spurred Tim Downs, a Magnetic Island local, to volunteer to help the MINT clinic's medical team. Tim Downs is a volunteer at the turtle clinic. ( ABC: Anna Salleh ) Over the years, Tim's seen countless patients admitted to the clinic — and not all survive. He recalls one "badly smashed up" turtle that had been struck by a boat. Another boat strike case left a deep cut on a turtle's head. "She was very badly concussed … we had her for about three days before she died." Then there was the case of an animal that had its neck trapped in a crab pot. Most patients have "floating syndrome", where the gut is unable to digest its contents properly, so gas from decomposing food builds up inside the turtle causing it to float aimlessly. Swallowing something they shouldn't have is one of the main causes of this life-threatening condition. Fishing line cut blood circulation to Boris' left flipper. ( ABC Science: Anna Salleh ) Turtles have downward-facing spines in their gut to help them filter food from sea water that they "vomit" back out through their nostrils. But this means they can't easily cough anything back up again. And unless it gets passed at the other end, something as innocent as an escaped party balloon can cause a potentially fatal blockage. Swallowed fishing line can wrap around a turtle's innards too, Tim explains. And the movement of the gut tightens the line, making it difficult to pass or be removed by surgery. "It's a pretty agonising death for them," he says. All patients that can fit are put in a CT scanner for free at James Cook University. ( Supplied: JCUVets ) All patients that can fit are put in a CT scanner for free at James Cook University. (Supplied: JCUVets) Tim at the door of the hospital's mobile "tiny home" medical centre. ( ABC Science: Anna Salleh ) Tim at the door of the clinic's mobile "tiny home" medical centre. (ABC Science: Anna Salleh) 20250502_090510 The medical centre is a mobile tiny home that can be conveniently moved if MINT's rent-free status with Townsville City Council ends, or there is a mass stranding of turtles. ( ABC Science: Anna Salleh ) It's in here that complex procedures like tube feeding occur. (ABC Science: Anna Salleh) Boris gets medical care Thankfully, a CT scan indicates Boris hasn't swallowed any fishing gear. But the turtle isn't eating. "His prognosis is good, providing he gets off his hunger strike," Tim says. And if Boris doesn't start eating soon, tube feeding might be necessary. Gina Sweeney, an ex-nurse, injects Boris with a drug to stimulate appetite in the hope it helps. Patients can also get injections of vitamins, antibiotics or painkillers as part of their care. Gina then chases the Boris around the tank to catch and manoeuvre the 13kg turtle out of the tank. That may seem hefty but adult male turtles can weigh up to 150kg. She gently places Boris on the injecting table carefully avoiding contact with the sore flipper that was damaged by fishing line. Gina injects Boris with an appetite stimulant. ( ABC Science: Anna Salleh ) Gina first came across a turtle in the wild while diving on the Great Barrier Reef. "There's something so majestic and I just love them — prehistoric, gentle, graceful … I'm fascinated," she says. "It's a privilege to be able to look after them." Gina feels connected to green sea turtles like Boris. ( ABC Science: Anna Salleh ) Joni's day spa When it's Joni's time for some medical care, first on the agenda is a shell clean. In the wild, "cleaner fish" would keep a turtle's shell in good nick, but in the clinic, patients need a weekly scrub. Out come a selection of dish brushes used to scrub most of the shell, and toothbrushes for the sensitive infected parts. Luckily for Joni, this whole process doubles as a delicious back scrub. Turtles apparently like their butt being scrubbed. ( ABC Science: Anna Salleh ) Turtles have nerve endings in their shell and they particularly enjoy being scrubbed near their rear end, in the same way a dog does, says Lily Donnelly, a PhD student in conservation genetics at James Cook University. "They do enjoy a scratch. They get a bit invigorated by it," she says. After the scrub, Lily cleans out the tiny sores on Joni's shell and puts ointment on them. Then she flips Joni over to attend to the sores on the turtle's underside. Lily is also involved in the medical team. ( ABC Science: Anna Salleh ) Lily, who volunteers in the medical team, is also studying the impact of extreme weather on turtles. (ABC Science: Anna Salleh) Ointment is dabbed into sores on Joni's underside. ( ABC Science: Anna Salleh ) Ointment is dabbed into sores on Joni's underside. (ABC Science: Anna Salleh) Joni's day spa kit including paw-paw ointment and toothbrush to apply it. ( ABC Science: Anna Salleh ) Joni's day spa kit complete with paw paw ointment. (ABC Science: Anna Salleh) A weigh-in is the final stage before Joni is returned to her tank. ( ABC Science: Anna Salleh ) Joni is putting on weight, but is still quite thin. (ABC Science: Anna Salleh) A volunteer gently cradles Joni's head and at times covers the turtle's eyes with a towel to keep it calm. The final part of Joni's "whole body pamper" is a massage with paw paw ointment. Extreme weather takes a toll Lily's been volunteering for the clinic since 2022, and MINT recently got a grant for her to research ways to improve flatback sea turtle ( Natator depressus ) reproduction success on Magnetic Island. Most patients that come to the clinic are green sea turtles, which spend more time close to shore than other species. Hawksbill sea turtles( Eretmochelys imbricata ) are sometimes rescued too. But flatbacks are the main species that nests on the Island's beaches. And extreme temperatures have seen some flatback turtle eggs boiled in their shells, Lily says. "The sand is too hot, and their eggs and turtles are getting cooked before they hatch." Back in the volunteer headquarters, Lily retrieves plastic containers with some of her research samples from a freezer. Her gloved hands cradle a frozen ball — it's a hard-boiled yellow egg yolk with a tiny turtle embryo still clinging to it. This flatback turtle egg was found cooked in the sand. ( ABC Science: Anna Salleh ) Overheating not only affects the number of hatchlings from each nest but when babies do survive, they're more likely to be female — something that can also affect reproduction success for the species. A record deluge too has been a challenge for turtles. This year's monsoon saw around 2.5 metres of rain fall in a just few short months. From one of the other freezer bags, she takes out another victim of extreme weather: a dead hatchling that got "cold shock" after 10 straight days of driving rain. "It got stuck in the sand dunes and it didn't make it." Lily holds a hatchling that didn't survive the record-breaking wet season. ( ABC Science: Anna Salleh ) Volunteers and fundraising Paul has organised a working bee to attract prospective volunteers so there are more people here today than usual. But there's a lot of training required to be a volunteer and people often leave not long after they arrive. This leaves a gap in the feeding roster that has to be rapidly plugged with the remaining volunteers. He encourages people who are prepared to commit for at least six months. While a voluntary workforce is good, the clinic still needs to get grants for infrastructure and electricity, and fundraise for running costs such as food for the patients. They aim to feed a recovering turtle 10 per cent of its body weight in seafood every day. Paul and Tim chat to a potential new recruit. ( ABC Science: Anna Salleh ) Fortunately, there is a volunteer vet on the team and James Cook University provides free CT scans for any patients that can fit in their scanner. Medications and surgery must be paid for separately though, and this is where the Magnetic Island community steps in. "People on the Island collect their cans and bottles and then donate them to us and that [a "cash for cans" container deposit scheme] pays for the food and the medicine and electricity," Paul says. Around the Island, people support fundraising efforts for the clinic. ( ABC Science: Anna Salleh ) As I leave, the place still buzzes with activity. Adriana has shifted from patient care to painting doors and Paul is assessing whether or not he can build a roof over some holding tanks to prevent turtles drowning when it rains heavily. Joni goes home Two months after my first visit to the turtle clinic, a notice pops up in my social media feed. Joni has recovered and will be released back into the wild. After 16 weeks in care Joni has done well and if anything is "a little bit fat," which should give her a head start going back into the ocean, says Dhanushka Jayokody-Perera, a volunteer vet. Dr Dhanushka Jayokody-Perera — known as "Dr Dhash" — volunteers veterinary services to the clinic. ( ABC Science: Anna Salleh ) "Joni's recovered much quicker than some of the others we've had," Dr Jayokody-Perera says. On a bright, sunny Saturday, I join a group of islanders who form a U-shape on the beach as Joni is lifted down to the water's edge. Joni is carried through a crowd on the last leg of the journey from the clinic to back to the reef. ( ABC Science: Anna Salleh ) Joni is carried through a crowd on the last leg of the journey from the clinic back to the reef. (ABC Science: Anna Salleh) After 16 weeks, Joni is back in the ocean. ( ABC Science: Anna Salleh ) After 16 weeks, Joni is back in the ocean. (ABC Science: Anna Salleh) This is the moment the volunteers have been waiting for. Joni takes off like a rocket through the water as the crowd claps and cheers. Lily reflects on the highs and lows of turtle care. "It's bittersweet, but it's always great to see them go back to their ocean home," she says. But not all turtles that come into the clinic make it back home. An X-ray revealed Boris had a broken flipper. The team gave him painkillers and a moon boot, and he picked up for a while, but then complications from a lack of blood set in and the turtle needed surgery to remove part of the flipper. Sadly, despite all the team's efforts, Boris didn't recover and unexpectedly died two days after Joni was released. Tim reflects on the time he spent with Boris. "They win you over because you care for them for so long," he says. "[Boris's death] is sad, but it's something you have to accept when you take on the role of a rehabilitator. "We think about the ones we can save, rather than the ones we lose."
