The long-awaited report from the rural health inquiry following 21 months of investigation has been met with responses from stakeholders across NSW, all calling for action to be taken on the obvious long standing issues brought to light by the Senate Inquiry. 

According to Chair of the committee Greg Donnelly the inquiry - which received 720 submissions and held 15 public hearings - heard stories of ‘emergency departments with no doctors; of patients being looked after by cooks and cleaners; of excessive wait times for treatment; and of misdiagnoses and medical errors’.

The damning evidence echoes calls across regional NSW for decades for improved services.

From the 44 recommendations made in the recent report, the Minister for Regional Health Bronnie Taylor has so far identified four priorities for regional health: 

•  Strengthening the rural and regional health workforce 
•  Improving access to health services through increased transport and accommodation support 
•   Working with the Federal Government to expand and integrate primary care models, including the GP workforce 
•  And building on community engagement and the understanding of available services in the regions  

Just prior to the release of the report, the CWA state conference passed a motion of urgency, calling for immediate action by state and federal governments to address the current crisis in the provision of primary medical services.

“It is not acceptable that many regional hospitals and health services have to be so depleted before action is taken,” CWA of NSW President Joy Beames said. 

The plethora of challenges facing locals accessing local health matches sentiment across the Western Plains, where several local councils and residents contributed to the enquiry, each with negative reports from their respective community experiences. 

Along with Warren, Coonamble and Bourke shire councils, Gilgandra based Registered Nurse Sheree Staggs’ appearance at the hearings revealed various shortcomings, including needing to call upon staff from other health services to fill shifts, and a shortage of medical supplies. 

“The supply budget is too low. We often run out of supplies, so we borrow from other health services,” Ms Staggs reported. 

“I argue that $3.57 per bed per day is not enough to provide adequate care,” she said.

These problems, while reportedly occurring in various health services across regional NSW, go largely underreported, with many nurses afraid to speak out. 

“One of the committee’s findings was that ‘there is a culture of fear operating within NSW Health in relation to employees speaking out and raising concerns and issues about patient safety, staff welfare and inadequate resources,” Greens NSW MP and health spokesperson Cate Faehrmann said. 

The NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) - who have held various strikes this year calling for staff ratios - has urged the NSW Government not to delay adopting the recommendations of the report. 

NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary, Shaye Candish, said access to adequate health care was a basic right and shouldn’t be compromised by governments. 

“Regional communities deserve access to the best health care possible regardless of where people choose to live. The NSW government must acknowledge it has a duty to deliver safe care for rural and regional patients,” said Ms Candish. 

Amongst the 22 key findings of the inquiry, most were a frightening indictment on the state of the current healthcare model.

Other findings include

• First Nations people still experience discrimination when seeking assistance in some rural, regional and remote hospitals.

• While Telehealth and virtual care is an important innovation, it must not be used as a basis to reduce or substitute face to face health services

• Cancer patients face significant out of pocket costs which is resulting in patients experiencing severe financial distress and/or choosing to skip life-saving cancer treatments.

A formal response to the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into health outcomes and access to health and hospital services in rural, regional and remote New South Wales will be handed down in coming months.