Northern Rivers residents expected to tell all at Lismore’s inquiry into hospitals and health care across rural and regional NSW

The inquiry has already had about “atrocious” conditions at other hospitals, and now Northern Rivers residents will be able to share their experiences with the goal of forcing government action.

An enquiry into hospitals and healthcare in rural and regional NSW which is being held in Lismore on Thursday June 17, 2021 will be livestreamed.

Northern Rivers residents can tune into a live-stream of a landmark public hearing inquiry that focuses on hospitals and health care across rural and regional NSW which will be held in Lismore today.

On Thursday, Lismore residents will have the chance to share their experiences of local healthcare at a public hearing that will be live streamed from the Lismore Workers Club and which will be attended by the Shadow Minister Health Ryan Park and local MP Janelle Saffin.

This landmark inquiry, which focuses on hospitals and health care across rural and regional NSW, has to date heard evidence which Ms Saffin said points to a health system in crisis and in urgent need of prioritising especially for those living outside the major cities.

Ms Saffin said yesterday at Taree, the hearing heard from local residents who described the situation as “atrocious” and that they were in “dire straits”.

Testimony was given that Manning Lakes Hospital has 18 beds in the ED however only nine were funded to be used.

According to Ms Saffin, the Upper House inquiry had already heard evidence about hospitals regularly running out of antibiotics, a patient who had to pick up a suture kit on the way to a hospital to mend their lacerate forehead, a hospital cook required to look after patients because nurses were too busy and three operating theatres being used for storage.

Shadow Minister Health Ryan Park said the hearings have highlighted the desperate need for more support and resources.

“The health inquiry has provided significant evidence surrounding the healthcare crisis impacting NSW,” Mr Park said.

“There have been over 700 submissions made to this inquiry but nothing is more powerful and heartbreaking than hearing the personal accounts of people who are working tirelessly through overtime to provide quality care, or hearing from patients and their loved ones who’ve struggled to get access to what most of us would describe as basic level of health care.”

Ms Saffin said the Government needed to understand the level of community concern and give rural health funding a high priority in next week’s NSW Budget.

“The Government needs to realise the full extent of this crisis and respond accordingly,” Ms Saffin said.

“My own community is telling me and others that they need additional staff in our local hospital, enhanced resources and access to better health services locally”.

Ms Saffin said the Nationals, backed by the Liberals, made an election commitment in February 2019 to deliver 284 extra nurses and midwives, 32 doctors, 38 allied health staff, and 50 hospital support workers across the Lismore Electorate during this current Parliamentary term.”

Ms Saffin this Government’s 2021-22 NSW Intergenerational Report states that one third of the NSW population lives in regional areas, but we certainly don’t see one third of the State’s health budget spent here in the regions.

Labor’s representatives on the committee are Greg Donnelly and Walt Secord.

The parliamentary inquiry will be in the Auditorium, Lismore Workers Club, Lismore and you can watch live here – https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Pages/webcasts.aspx