Berrigan Shire Mayor Matt Hannan said the inquiry into health outcomes and access to health and hospital services in rural, regional and remote NSW dominated discussions at the rural health forum last month.
He also said the Country Mayors Association of NSW has made it its mission to hold the NSW Government to account on making a real difference.
“The Inquiry found that everybody in regional and rural New South Wales knows health and hospital services in country New South Wales are below standard when compared to the service levels experienced by those residing in metropolitan areas.
“By writing to the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition, requesting favourable outcomes and by adopting the inquiry’s recommendations, councils can ensure a marked improvement in the delivery of all aspects of health care to country New South Wales residents happens sooner rather than later,” Cr Hannan said.
“This is our opportunity to redress the deficiencies in regional and rural health delivery. We cannot let our communities continue to be let down.”
One of the inquiry recommendations is that NSW Health work with the Australian Government “collaboratively to immediately invest in the development and implementation of a 10-Year Rural and Remote Medical and Health Workforce Recruitment and Retention Strategy”.
The panel’s recommendation is that a range of stakeholders be consulted in setting out a clear strategy for how NSW Health will “work to strengthen and fund the sustainability and growth of rural, regional and remote health services in each town including quantifiable targets for tangible improvement in community-level health outcomes, medical and health workforce growth, community satisfaction, and provider coordination and sustainability.”
The strategy must also address hospital and general practice workforce shortages including GPs, nurses and midwives, nurse practitioners, mental health nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, counsellors, social workers, paramedics, allied health practitioners and rural generalists.
Cr Hannan said the Rural Health Forum was attended by ministers and shadow ministers for health portfolios, as well as Rural Doctors Network CEO and Adjunct Professor Richard Colbran and National Rural Health Commissioner of Australia Ruth Stewart.
He said it was “uplifting” to hear the views of ministers and health professionals on the issue.
“It was very refreshing to hear both Minister for Regional Health and Minister for Mental Health Bronnie Taylor and Shadow Minister for Health and Mental Health Ryan Park agree that the matter of regional and rural health was of the utmost importance, and should be approached on a bipartisan basis and brought before parliament as early as possible,” he said.
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