Murray member Helen Dalton said health investigation recommendations don’t go far enough | District News

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An NSW Regional Health Investigation has been published, which demonstrates the difficult regional health situation. The study was set up in September 2020 to investigate the state of health in the regional New South Wales and access to hospital services in rural, regional and remote New South Wales. After years of debate, reports and interviews the results have been published and the picture she paints is not very pretty. The main findings show that patients in regional areas have significantly worse health outcomes than patients in metro areas, with more cases of chronic disease and more premature deaths. The same patients also face significant financial challenges to access health services to begin with – pay more for worse outcomes. RELATED | Nurses and midwives continue a long struggle for conditions. The report also notes that regional areas lack staff resources and health workers. The results are even worse for indigenous peoples, some of whom continue to face discrimination and racism in health care in some areas, and health care creates a whole new barrier to access to culturally appropriate health services. The report contains 44 recommendations for improving outcomes for regional patients – including the establishment of a working group on palliative care, a review of financial incentives for rural health trainees and the improvement of transport services. Member from Murray and longtime regional health advocate Helen Dalton said the recommendations were insufficient. She linked it to the recent strikes of nurses and midwives. “We need the New South Wales Government to provide a safe ratio of patients to staff in all our hospitals, as Victoria has done,” said Mrs Dalton. “But that’s not a recommendation in this report. If we don’t have better conditions for our nurses and midwives, we’ll play them off to other states.” IN OTHER NEWS, Mrs. Dalton added that pay and conditions in metropolitan areas are much better, that it will not attract new workers. “Nowadays, health workers and NSW workers can get higher pay and working conditions on the North Shore of Sydney than they get in a rural town like Deniliquin. So why would anyone move west?” “The report recommends reviewing pay structures, but we need an immediate increase in base pay rates and more financial incentives for those working in rural areas.” She was well aware of the recommendation to introduce an independent ombudsman to investigate complaints, but said he should be properly staffed and have real authority. “The fact that hundreds of statements about rural health investigations have been anonymous tells you the extent to which the government has mocked and silenced our health workers.” Here’s how you can access our trusted content:

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An NSW Regional Health Investigation has been published, which demonstrates the difficult regional health situation.

The study was set up in September 2020 to investigate the state of health in the regional New South Wales and access to hospital services in rural, regional and remote New South Wales.

After years of debate, reports and interviews the results have been published and the picture she paints is not very pretty.

The main findings show that patients in regional areas have significantly worse health outcomes than patients in metro areas, with more cases of chronic disease and more premature deaths. The same patients also face significant financial challenges to access health services to begin with – pay more for worse outcomes.

The report also notes that there is a significant shortage of staff in regional areas and a shortage of health workers.

The results are even worse for indigenous peoples, some of whom continue to face discrimination and racism in health care in some areas, and health care creates a whole new barrier to access to culturally appropriate health services.

The report contains 44 recommendations for improving outcomes for regional patients – including the establishment of a working group on palliative care, a review of financial incentives for rural health trainees and the improvement of transport services.

Member from Murray and longtime regional health advocate Helen Dalton said the recommendations were insufficient. She linked it to the recent strikes by nurses and midwives.

“We need the New South Wales Government to provide a safe ratio of patients to staff in all our hospitals, as Victoria has done,” said Mrs Dalton.

“But this is not a recommendation in this report. If we do not have better conditions for our nurses and midwives, we will reproduce them to other states.”

Ms. Dalton added that pay and conditions were much better in metropolitan areas, which would not attract new workers.

“Nowadays, health workers and NSW workers can receive higher pay and working conditions on the North Shore of Sydney than in a rural town like Denilikin. So why would anyone move west?”

“The report recommends reviewing pay structures, but we need an immediate increase in base pay rates and more financial incentives for those working in rural areas.”

She was well aware of the recommendation to introduce an independent ombudsman to investigate complaints, but said he should be properly staffed and have real power.

“The fact that hundreds of statements about rural health investigations have been anonymous tells you the extent to which the government has mocked and silenced our health workers.”

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