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Let's Fix our Hospitals

Peter Debnam's Blog - Monday, 12th March 2007

Everyone knows the NSW public hospital system is broken. The fact that it functions at all is due solely to the dedication of exceptional people – our nurses doctors and other health care workers.

12 years ago Bob Carr said that if Labor was elected, he would halve waiting lists or resign. He did neither.

12 years later there are almost 53,000 people on our waiting lists – over 8000 more than when Labor was first elected. And when Morris Iemma was Health Minister there were between 59,000 and 65,000 people on the list, a new Labor record.

Compared to twelve years ago, we also have 15% or around 3,500 less beds in our NSW public hospitals.

And according to the most recent figures, 31,000 patients waited too long to be seen in our Emergency Departments, with 18% of emergency patients waiting more than 8 hours to be admitted to hospitals.

Resources are simply NOT getting through to the frontline of our hospitals.

In 2004, when Morris Iemma was Labor’s Health Minister, salary payments for administrative staff in our health system had almost doubled since 1997 – an increase of around 95%, while administrative expenses increased by more than 140%. During the same time, the payroll for nurses had only increased by 56%.

This is not a record that should be rewarded by voting Labor. We MUST get resources to the frontline of our health system.

That’s what we have announced:

  • $207 million to get 500 nurses back in the system, in addition to the 1200 nursing vacancies Labor has been unable to fill,

  • $396 million to our mental health system focused on early intervention, rehabilitation and recovery,

  • $208 million for dental health, to reduce dental waiting lists,

  • $80 million for quality and risk management in our hospitals and

  • $53 million for a maternity package, including reopening maternity units in smaller country hospitals.


Yesterday, I went further and announced a $335 million package for our hospitals that includes:

  • $200 million for up to 200 additional hospital ward beds to facilitate quicker admission for patients through Emergency Departments,

  • $50 million for six dedicated ‘After Hours’ elective surgery operating theatres. These will be established at Westmead, St George, Royal North Shore, John Hunter, Tamworth and Orange Hospitals,

  • $40 million for additional incentives for doctors and theatre staff to keep these ‘After Hours’ Theatres open and operating, and

  • $45 million towards an additional 20,000 elective surgery procedures.

And that’s right, this policy will be funded by cutting expenditure on waste and duplication within the bureaucracy. 

Unlike Labor, we will transfer resources from the Sydney backroom bureaucracy to the frontline of our nurses to boost services and start fixing NSW.

At this election there is clear choice. if you want more Sydney bureaucrats, then vote Labor. If you want more nurses, teachers and police, vote Liberal or National to fix NSW.

This election is your opportunity to get your message through to Labor about our hospitals. Because there will be no opportunity afterwards, if Labor wins.

After twelve years, Labor’s had long enough. It’s time to fix NSW.

So on March 24, don’t reward Labor. Vote Liberal or National to fix NSW.

Regards,

 

Peter Debnam

PS For more details, see my Speech at Castlereagh in the SPEECHES section.

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