The issue was raised when private sector expressions of interest were called for relating to the Mt Druitt Hospital canteen and gift shop.

Volunteers have run this canteen and gift shop for a quarter of a century, funding an eco-cardiograph, an intensive care monitoring unit and other equipment worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Concern has been shown that privatisation would take money away from equipment in the hospital.

Lithgow Hospital will avoid this scenario with Peter Sindel, Sydney West Area Health Service (SWAHS) Director of Finance and Budget, saying that volunteers working at Lithgow Hospital will continue with their vital work in raising funds for medical equipment as the SWAHS Retail Strategy does not include Lithgow Hospital.

“SWAHS Retail Strategy forms part of the overall NSW Health state-wide retail strategy, which seeks to maximise the potential capital and recurrent investment to be achieved for re-investment into front-line clinical services,” he said.

“SWAHS’ retail strategy recognises the invaluable role of volunteers and seeks to support them while investigating how we can respond to the challenges of providing excellence in health care for the wider community.”

Mr Sindel said the NSW Health retail strategy was developed in response to the challenges faced by governments and Area Health Services in meeting the financial demands of our rapidly ageing community, the costs of new technologies and an increase in chronic diseases.

“As part of its retail strategy, SWAHS has sought and obtained expressions of interest from businesses, via a competitive process, to provide retail services at all of its hospitals, which will maximise the return from the retail process,” he said.