South West Sydney Health inquiry: NSW Health criticised for failing to act one year after review

The NSW Government has been grilled for failing to remedy major issues raised in southwest Sydney hospitals, one year after an inquiry handed down its findings.

A year after a scathing parliamentary review found southwest Sydney residents experienced “historic underfunding” for local healthcare services, the NSW Opposition has accused the government of doing “next to nothing” to remedy the issues.

On November 30 last year, inquiry chair and Labor MLC Greg Donnelly called on the NSW Government to completely overhaul funding models used to budget for the Southwest Sydney Local Health District in an effort to meet the needs of the growing community.

Sydney's Liverpool Hospital. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

Mr Donnelly, in his review, called on the government to commit to a total of 17 recommendations raised as part of the parliamentary inquiry including increased staffing levels for struggling clinicians, while calling on the government to secure land for a future health precinct in the Western Sydney Aerotropolis.

The inquiry chair also found the NSW Government “provided lower overall funding and lower numbers of health workers per capita than most other parts of Sydney”, as part of the review.

In the lead up to the 2020 inquiry, NewsLocal revealed south west Sydney residents were budgeted $800 less per person than the Sydney LHD each year.

Figures tendered to the inquiry revealed the budget for the South Western Local Health District has been set at $1700 per resident — 30 per cent less than the $2500 budgeted for those who live in the Sydney Local Health District.

Full ambulance bays at Liverpool Hospital. Picture: Jonathan Ng

THE GREAT DIVIDE — SYDNEY’S HEALTH CRISIS

Part One: south west patients funded $800 less per person than Sydney residents

Part Two: south west patients forced to travel hours for treatment

Part Three: leaders are calling for a new hospital at Aerotropolis

Part Four: 24,000 new medical students needed to fight west’s growth

Part Five: Patients waiting 300 days for surgery in south west Sydney

Part Six: south west teens shock youth suicide numbers as specialist staff numbers revealed

Part Seven: Claims health department removed beds from state’s busiest EDs

Part Eight: Where mini-metro hospitals will be built across Sydney

Part Nine: Kids enduring 18-month wait times for paediatric services

Part Ten: Hospital staff reveal hospital horror stories in calls for funding

Part Eleven: ‘Young doctors committing suicide over workloads’, inquiry hears

Part Twelve: NSW Government delisted land earmarked for hospital

Part Thirteen: NSW Health failed to assess hospital development projects

Part Fourteen: Liverpool, Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital redevelopments: bid to fast track hospital openings

Part Fifteen: Blacktown Hospital baby deaths: more obstetricians committed, emergency theatre opens

Part Sixteen: South West Sydney Health inquiry: finds historic underfunding’, calls for Aerotropolis hospital

Part Seventeen: Minister Brad Hazzard supports improved services, staff levels

In May, Health Minister Brad Hazzard supported a long list of the recommendations, including provisions at individual hospitals across the local health district, as well as calls to reinstate a 24 hour GP clinic in order to reduce pressures on the emergency department and local general practitioner clinics.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – NewsWire Photos, NOVEMBER 28, 2021: NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard, speaks to the Bass Hill Operations Centre. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Flavio Brancaleone

The inquiry called for enhanced radiology and ultrasound services after hours at Liverpool, as well as “enhanced resources for emergency surgery” and the government to immediately fill vacant positions and increase the number of junior doctors at the hospital.

At Campbelltown Hospital, the committee behind the review called for NSW Health to immediately fill vacant positions within the emergency department, psychologists in the adolescent mental health unit and midwife positions, also calling for the government to examine the proposal of establishing paediatric surgery and other paediatric subspecialties at the hospital.

There were calls to improve staffing numbers at southwest Sydney hospitals.

At Fairfield, concerns around the need for additional operating theatres, improvement of theatre equipment and enhancement of kidney dialysis treatment were recommended.

Shadow Health spokesman Ryan Park told NewsLocal the government had done very little to address the serious issues engulfing the region’s health care system, “despite the alarming findings”.

NSW Shadow Minister for Health Ryan Park. (AAP Image/James Gourley)

“The inquiry was clear — for far too long the region’s hospitals have been underfunded, understaffed and under-resourced,” Mr Park said.

“There is no doubt the supply of funding, staff and resources has not kept pace with demand and the blame for that falls square at the feet of the NSW Government.

“Despite the alarming findings, the government has done next to nothing in the past 12 months in terms of addressing the recommendations.”

Meanwhile, Shadow Western Sydney spokesman Greg Warren said there was “no doubt the health care system in South West Sydney was in crisis”.

“The nurses, doctors and staff at hospitals throughout South West Sydney do an incredible job with the limited support afforded to them by the NSW Government,” Mr Warren said.

“The health care crisis in South West Sydney will not improve until the NSW Government both acknowledge the plethora of issues and importantly, address them.”

Mr Warren highlighted concerns raised about “excessive wait times” continuing at the Campbelltown Hospital emergency department.

Greg Warren, Member for Campbeltown, addresses the media with NSW Labor Leader Chris Minns. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

The lasted NSW Health quarterly report showed just 47.9 per cent of patients leaving the ED within desired four hour period.

Meanwhile, Mr Warren said the NSW Government hasn’t planned to improve paediatric surgery and sub specialities at the hospital.

NSW Health was contacted for comment.