OPINION: Sick and tired of health cuts

”It seems that health issues are never far from the spotlight on the Tweed,” writes Tweed Daily News editor Bob Anthony.

SOCIAL MEDIA IMAGE DISCUSS USE WITH YOUR EDITOR - Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin with nurses outside the Murwillumbah Hospital on Saturday collecting signatures for the petition to stop the changes to nursing hours at the ED department.

IT seems that health issues are never far from the spotlight on the Tweed.

The latest issues revolve around proposed cut to nursing shifts in the Emergency Department at the Murwillumbah District Hospital.

While people may understand the need for government departments to find efficiencies and ways to make the taxpayer dollars go further, what our politicians and bureaucrats should realise is the need to provide efficient health services to those same taxpayers.

There is no denying the Australian population is ageing and that puts greater strains on health services and with the cost of private health cover continually on the rise, more people are opting out and relying on public health.

That means for many people, their first port of call to health matters is a public hospital Emergency Department.

I think their focus on cost efficiencies has clouded the true nature of what is required in the medicine - time and care. Our medical staff in our public hospital are under plenty of pressure to cope with an increasing workload and they deserve our praise for their efforts.

For decision makers to look at the workloads in terms of numbers fails to recognise that those numbers represent people - both patients and medical professionals.

By cutting back one area, you place a strain on another and create frustration and anxiety among those seeking medical help.

Originally published as