In one of the first acts of the new NSW Parliament the Labor Government have appointed a 'watchdog' committee to monitor the rollout of the recommendations of the landmark 2022 Upper House Inquiry into Rural and Regional Health.

A Select Committee has been appointed to examine how the recommendations of the report are put into practice.  

The move has been welcomed by Member for Barwon, Roy Butler.

The 2022 Inquiry was the most extensive of its kind ever conducted in the state. The Committee held 15 public hearings, received 749 submissions, and conducted two site visits.

Throughout the inquiry, the committee heard repeatedly about individuals and families who felt let down by the health system. 

The report said that people living outside of the city have "significantly poorer health outcomes, greater incidents of chronic disease, and greater premature deaths". 

The report said there had been "historic failures" by both levels of government to fix workforce shortages and recommended a raft of changes. 

This included the state government collaborating with the Commonwealth on a 10-year workforce strategy, a single employer model for GPs, expansion of NSW Palliative and End-of-Life Model of Care models across the state, prioritisation of face-to-face consultations over telehealth consultations and a reviews of the Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme as a matter of priority. 

It also highlighted a 'culture of fear' among healthcare staff to speak out about under-resourcing, mismanagement and bullying or harassment.  

PHOTO: NSW Health Minister Ryan Park. Image: NSW Parliament. 

NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said the committee will oversee the implementation of the 44 recommendations of the Upper House Inquiry. 

“Every person in NSW, no matter where they live, has the right to safe, quality medical care,” Mr Park said. 

“I have had the pleasure of visiting a number of rural and regional health services since the Government was elected, and I’ll be visiting several remote health services in north west NSW this week.

“The Rural and Regional Health Inquiry, which I fought so hard to establish in opposition, highlighted the crisis facing rural, remote and regional services such as these, and this Select Committee will ensure they get the support they need to care for their local communities.” 

Welcome move

Member for Barwon Roy Butler told the Western Plains App he welcomes the formation of a Regional Health Committee.

"Years of neglect under the previous government have seen a deterioration in the medical services available to people in the country, and have even caused life expectancy to go backward," Mr Butler said.

"To fix this we need some major reform in the regional health system, but the reforms have to be structured and thorough, not piecemeal. A comprehensive review is a necessary part of that process".

"With Dr Joe McGirr as chair of the committee, hopefully that review won’t take another two years and will move quickly in a more practical direction" he added

"The priority is to implement all of the recommendations as soon as possible, particularly a Regional Health Plan that includes metrics, so that gaps in resourcing can be properly identified and so that there is greater accountability in regional health.”

Earlier this year, Greens health spokeswoman Cate Faehrmann said many regional people felt abandoned by the former government after the inquiry. 

"I heard horror stories of understaffed regional hospitals leading to completely avoidable accidents and deaths," she said. 

Chair of the Select Committee, Member for Wagga Wagga Dr Joe McGirr, said healthcare was the number one issue for rural and regional communities in NSW. 

“Rural and regional healthcare is in crisis,” Dr McGirr said. 

“It is unacceptable that the life expectancy of those in the regions is less than those in metropolitan areas.” 

Image: Pixabay.

The committee will be able to examine the financial expenditure and performance of relevant government agencies and inspect healthcare settings in NSW and other relevant jurisdictions. 

It will consist of the Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin, Member for Cessnock Clayton Barr, Member for South Coast Liza Butler, Member for Monaro Steve Whan, Member for Myall Lakes Tanya Thompson and the Member for Port Macquarie Leslie Williams. 

In the inquiry's report last year, witnesses described emergency departments without doctors and patients who were left to die on bathroom floors, and it was also asserted that cooks and cleaners being made to work as carers. 

The committee will be able to analyse the financial performances of government agencies and compare healthcare settings from NSW with others around the country. 

The committee will deliver its final report to the NSW Parliament within two years of its first meeting.