NSW Opposition Leader Peter Debnam and Shadow Minister for Health Jillian Skinner today announced the NSW Liberal/Nationals would establish a $250 million Hospital Renewal Fund to fix rundown hospitals across the state. 

“After 12 years, Labor has let the health system run down and many of the hospitals our doctors and nurses are being asked to work in are substandard,” Mr Debnam said.

“The people of NSW deserve a world-class hospital system,” he said.

“Few things are more traumatic than having to take yourself or a loved one to hospital for treatment. When this occurs it is important to know that the local hospital is well equipped and well prepared.

“The NSW Liberal/Nationals will establish a $250 million Hospital Renewal Fund to fix hospitals across NSW.

“The Fund will be used to drive a major upgrade and expansion of hospital infrastructure over the next four years.

“The Fund will be established from savings achieved through cutting waste and expenditure in the bureaucracy, including a recruitment freeze on Sydney backroom bureaucrats.

In recent months we have made a number of commitments that will be met from our $250 million Hospital Renewal Fund, including:

• $5 million for the upgrade of Bowral Hospital;

• $4 million to secure the future of Queen Victoria Hospital;

• $18 million towards rebuilding Narrabri Hospital;

• $15 million towards the upgrade of Tamworth Base Hospital;

• $20 million towards the upgrade of Grafton Base Hospital;

• $18 million towards a new hospital at Parkes;

• $13 million towards a new hospital at Forbes;

• $1 million to upgrade Maclean Hospital; and,

• $2 million towards a Multi-Purpose Health Centre in Yamba

“In addition, today I announce a $10 million commitment towards the Tomaree Community Hospital at Nelson Bay to provide improved hospital services for the Nelson Bay and Port Stephens community.

“The NSW Liberal/Nationals will be making further commitments on fixing hospitals in coming days,” he said.

Mrs Skinner said in communities right across NSW, families have lost confidence in the ability of their local hospitals to deal with their medical needs.

“After 12 years, Labor has had long enough to fix hospitals in NSW and they’ve failed.

“If NSW wants to attract the world’s best medical professionals, we need to have the world’s best hospitals and part of that involved having first class facilities.

“We want doctors and nurses to want to work in NSW hospitals.

“This infrastructure announcement, combined with our other health commitments to reduce the surgery waiting list, increase hospital bed numbers to ensure quicker emergency treatment and re-establish district health board to give the local community and health practioners a say in the running of their hospitals, makes working in NSW hospitals more attractive.

“Now Labor is asking to be rewarded for their failure over 12 years to upgrade hospitals across the state.

“It is time to start fixing hospitals to restore confidence once again in the public health system.