The Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District has been accused of mismanagement after participants in a cardiac health program were told the program had been axed due to a lack of funding.
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The program run though the Nowra Community Health Centre provides exercise classes and health checks for people who have had heart problems or cardiac surgery, and is designed to keep people healthy and out of hospital.
However participants were recently told the program had ended, because the government had cut funding.
But after State Member for South Coast, Liza Butler, contacted Health Minister Ryan Park, the health district said the participants had been given "incorrect information"
It apologised, and said classes were set to resume this week after a two-week break.
One of the program's participants, Michael McNally of Sussex Inlet, said the situation was "a disgrace".
![Nowra Community Health Centre will continue hosting a cardiac health program. Picture supplied. Nowra Community Health Centre will continue hosting a cardiac health program. Picture supplied.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/204165774/374456b9-b97a-4d30-b1b0-c48f5865a236.JPG/r0_35_1127_671_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"It shouldn't have happened in the first place," he said.
As he emphasised the program's importance, Mr McNally said staff had managed to keep him out of hospital by picking up problems with his heart before he was even aware of them.
"In the end, this is about keeping people healthy, keeping them out of hospital, and saving the public money," he said.
Ms Butler agreed the program was "so important, there are so many aspects of it that help people".
"That is such an important service for those people because it's not just about exercise - it's about heart health, it's about community connection and a social connection," Ms Butler said.
Yet it seemed there were issues because a staff member who had been delivering the program went on maternity leave, and health officials spent all the available funding by using an external contractor to provide the program.
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"That's just mismanagement", Ms Butler said.
In a brief statement an ISLHD spokesperson confirmed, "An external contractor, who has been supporting participants with the exercise portion of the cardiac rehabilitation and heart failure programs, will continue until at least October when our staff exercise physiologist returns from planned leave.
"During the next few months, the programs provided by Shoalhaven Cardiac Service will be reviewed to ensure we provide the most appropriate services to the local community," the statement said.
Ms Butler said she would be following up with local health officials and the Health Minister's office to ensure the program continued to serve the community, and the participants were kept fully informed.
She said she became aware of the problems only through a social media post saying the program had been cut because governments had cut funding, which was not correct.
"I really urge anyone who has an issue like that to contact my office so we can get to the source of the truth," Ms Butler said.