Wagga health providers are calling for an additional hydrotherapy pool after the city was "robbed" of its public service five years ago.
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The plea has followed a petition requesting that the Oasis Aquatic Centre maintains consistent temperatures in its program pool for those using the service for hydrotherapy purposes.
However, Wagga physiotherapist Katelyn McGregor said the problem goes beyond heating. Ms McGregor said accessibility was a core concern for clients, who often share an overcrowded pool with swim classes and the general public.
It has been five years since a purpose-built hydrotherapy pool was shut down at Wagga Base Hospital and an agreement formed with Calvary Hospital for public patients to have access to its private service.
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However, Wagga City Council has recorded an overflow of residents relying on the Oasis program pool for assistance with their injuries because they are unable to access the private pool.
"If you have a client who is immobile and finds it hard to mobilise due to pain it's very hard to get them in the program pool and you have to move around the kids to get in safely," Ms McGregor said.
Although Wagga council does "operate a good service" to meet demand, she said an additional hydro-specific pool in the city could be well-utilised by many health providers and residents.
Wagga councillor Dan Hayes said the fact that a recreational facility was currently being used for a health service indicated the need had not been met in the area.
"The Oasis program pool is not designed to replace a public health service and never intended to be, but we know there is a demand for a pool like that for a number of programs," Cr Hayes said.
"I will always support more health services for our area than not. If there was no need we wouldn't have a private service being full. We wouldn't have overflow into a recreational facility."
The council's business manager, Darryl Woods, said there were community members using the Oasis program pool for hydrotherapy on a daily basis because it was the only option currently available to them.
"We are trying to address the needs of the current constituents down there and provide a facility that meets their requirements, but the Oasis has never had a hydrotherapy pool and was never designed to serve that purpose," he said.
Moving forward, Mr Woods said they could take the idea to councillors to determine if they want to fill the need for a purpose-built hydrotherapy pool.
However, in the meantime, he said the improvements that the council has made to heating the program pool has shown the Oasis could keep temperatures consistent for its users.