RYAN PARK MP
NSW SHADOW MINISTER FOR HEALTH

DR MICHAEL HOLLAND MP
MEMBER FOR BEGA

 LABORS COMMITMENT TO RURAL HEALTH

NSW Labor will appoint a Deputy Secretary for Rural Health who is accountable for implementing all recommendations from the rural health inquiry and will be tasked with driving reform and improving the health outcomes for rural and remote communities across NSW.
 
The Parliamentary Inquiry into outcomes and access to health and hospital services in rural, regional and remotes NSW found that residents in rural, regional and remote NSW:
 

• Have significantly poorer health outcomes, greater incidents of chronic disease and greater premature deaths when compared to their metropolitan counterparts (Finding 1);
• Have inferior access to health and hospital services, especially those living in remote towns and locations and Indigenous communities (Finding 20);
• Face significant financial challenges in order to access diagnosis, treatment and other health services compared to those living in metropolitan cities (Finding 3)

 
The inquiry also found inequities when it comes to the provision of health services to rural, regional and remote NSW, in particular:

• There is a critical shortage of health professionals across rural, regional and remote communities (Finding 9); and
• There has been a historic failure by both state and Federal governments to attract, support and retain health professionals, especially doctors and nurses in rural, regional and remote areas (Finding 11).

 
These findings were echoed today in a report from the Australia Institute: The Unlucky Country, Life Expectancy and Health in Regional and Remote Australia.
 
This report found Patients in Far West NSW are dying earlier and have substantially worse health outcomes than those in Sydney.
 
It also reported in the Far West:
 

• Patients are twice as likely to die prematurely than those in Sydney;
• 'potential avoidable' deaths are two and a half times more likely; and
• Rates of suicide in the rural area are trending up.

 
Labor’s plan for a fresh start for rural and health:
 
NSW Labor knows that significant investment is needed in rural, regional and remote NSW and metropolitan NSW to service the growing needs of the NSW population and to address the inequity of health outcomes between them. Labor will appoint a Deputy Secretary for Rural Health who is accountable for implementing all recommendations from the rural health inquiry and will be tasked with driving reform and improving the health outcomes for rural and remote communities across NSW.

Labor will have a fresh start for rural health care, with announcements so far including:

• Implement the NSW parliament’s rural health inquiry recommendations
• Fund 500 additional regional paramedics in the first term of a Minns Labor government;
• Introduce minimum and enforceable safe staffing levels to public hospitals, starting with emergency departments; and 
• Fund an additional 29 McGrath Breast Care nurses to support people right across New South Wales.
• Boost funding for Women’s Health Centres to $100 million over five years to ensure the 20 centres across the state can operate sustainably and deliver health services that meet the needs of the community.
• Open Eurobodalla Hospital at level four status

 
Quotes attributable to Ryan Park, Shadow Minister for Health:
 
“The NSW Liberal National Government’s failure to safeguard our health system was put on full display during the parliamentary inquiry into rural and regional health.
 
“This analysis highlights that there has been little improvement due to the Liberal National Government’s complete inaction.
 
“This is just the latest in a long line of consequences for twelve years of neglect under the Liberals and Nationals, which has seen hospital waiting times balloon and one in five (19 per cent) of nurses thinking about leaving their current patient care position within the next 12 months. 

“What is clear is that while the Government likes to cut ribbons on shiny new buildings, there is a dire need for additional resources and staff to help address this health crisis.”

Dr. Michael Holland, Member for Bega said:

‘Unfortunately, this is another report demonstrating the life-threatening inequality of rural, regional, and remote health services under the NSW Liberal National government.

‘As confirmed in the NSW parliamentary inquiry into health outcomes and access to health services in rural, regional, and remote NSW, due to the lack of local services, people in the country wait longer, travel further, and have more advanced disease than their metropolitan counterparts.

‘Over the past 12 years of Liberal National government, my rural electorate has become less than 60% self-sufficient for general medical care and in some areas less than 25% for mental health and children’s health services.

‘Hundreds of local residents having to travel hundreds of kilometres for health services which should be provided locally.

‘This is widening the gap in health care even further for our Indigenous population.

‘It is no wonder that rural health workers have had enough of this NSW Liberal National government

 
TUESDAY, 14 FEBRUARY 2023
 
MEDIA CONTACT: BESS GRAHAM 0427 779 257