Nurse manager Sharon Wendon questioned the figures provided by operator OneCare to support its claim that the hospice was financially troubled.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Ms Wendon and OneCare life member Bruce Davidson say OneCare's expansion in other regions would be at the Kings Meadows hospice's expense.
Claiming it cannot afford to keep the six-bed hospice open, OneCare will close Philip Oakden House on June 30.
"OneCare chief executive Michael Powell said the facility did not need to make a profit, just break even and with the State Government contribution of $700,000 and private health contributions of $400,000 the unit can be viable," Ms Wendon said.
Ms Wendon was appointed by OneCare early last year after running a 70-bed hospital in Sydney.
She spent 14 years in oncology and palliative care.
She was asked to compile cost savings by OneCare during her interview for the job in October 2005.
The financial management of Philip Oakden House was part of her job description.
"The (OneCare) budget claims we need a full-time cleaner at $36,000 (a year)," Ms Wendon said.
"But the maximum we use a cleaner is three hours a day ($17,000 a year)."
Her first role at the hospice, in February 2006, was to implement her cost savings, making redundant one full- time registered nurse and one casual nurse.
Her figures show a proposed budget of $977,143, compared with OneCare budget estimates of $1.2 million.
On December 22, Mr Powell met staff and announced "financial problems" and that it might close.
The Examiner was unable to contact a OneCare spokesman yesterday.
Ms Wendon said that OneCare's budget staffing levels were exaggerated and that her budget staffing levels were well above the national guidelines.
"If the hospice is going to close, let it close for the right reasons," Ms Wendon said.
"It would be so much better if they said they just didn't want to manage (Philip Oakden) any more."
Ms Wendon and Mr Davidson say OneCare's reasons for closing the hospice on June 30 are flawed.
They say OneCare's intent is aged-care expansion in Southern Tasmania and on the North-West Coast at Philip Oakden's expense.
"Mr Powell has refused to give the actual cost of running the hospice, despite me asking him to do so," Mr Davidson said.
OneCare has released plans for a 40-bed nursing home at Burnie valued at $11 million, a 60-bed facility at Port Sorrell at $9 million and Barossa Park at Glenorchy, costing $56 million over four years.
Ms Wendon also challenged how the hospice's financial loss could rise from $45,000 during 2002-03 financial year, to $466,000 last financial year.
"Staffing levels have not increased and wages have only had CPI increases," Ms Wendon said.
Meanwhile, she said, the property value and assets have increased from $339,000 in 2003 to $915,000 in 2006.
"Our liabilities also decreased by $62,000 during the same period," Ms Wendon said.
"They left going to the State Government too late, there was no timely process."
