News Wednesday, 01 February 2023

MP CLAIMS WESTERN HOSPITALS IN CRISIS

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Updated 01 Feb 2023

"Targets have not been met by 30%"

THE NSW hospital system is in crisis with the State Government failing to fill one in every three nursing and midwifery positions in the West and Southwest of Sydney according to key ALP MP Greg Warren.

The failure to meet adequate staffing figures was made by the Member for Campbelltown and Shadow Minister for Western Sydney on the eve of March’s State Election.’

Mr Warren said documents obtained by the NSW ALP revealed the State Government failed to meet targets by 30%.

He said 1,200 nursing and midwifery positions remained unfilled.

“Documents obtained by NSW Labor have revealed the NSW Government failed to meet targets regarding vital recruitments.

“An additional 4000 nurses and midwives were meant to be recruited into the system by June 2022, however that target fell well short.

“The Bureau of Health Information’s latest quarterly report for July 2022 to September 2022 revealed alarming statistics, particularly in West and South Western Sydney.”

Mr Warren said there was also an alarming failure of Western and South Western Sydney hospital emergency departments meeting the four-hour benchmark for treating patients.

He said the figure for major hospitals in the region were Blacktown 31.6, Campbelltown 37.7%, Liverpool 36.8%, Mount Druitt 47.7%, Nepean 39.9% and Westmead 36.9%

“A Chris Minns-led NSW Labor Government has vowed to address the crisis engulfing the state’s public health system.”

Mr Warren said this would be achieved by:

Introducing minimum and enforceable safe staffing levels.
Returning 600 beds to Western Sydney.
Upgrading Canterbury, Blacktown, Fairfield and Mount Druitt hospitals
Committing to build Rouse Hill Hospital.
Doubling funding for 20 women’s health centres in NSW including; Bankstown, Blacktown, Blue Mountains, Cumberland, Fairfield, Liverpool, Penrith and WILMA in Campbelltown.

Mr Warren said it was clear hospitals in West and South Western Sydney were in crisis.

“Nurses, doctors and staff are doing their best with the limited resources and support afforded to them by the NSW Government,” he said.

“The statistics regarding patients leaving emergency departments within the four-hour benchmark paint a dire picture of public hospitals in West and South Western Sydney.

“In order for patients to be treated effectively and efficiently, hospitals need to be adequately staffed. That is clearly not happening currently.”