NSW Labor has vowed to fix the issues crippling places like the new Maitland Hospital if it wins the state election in just over a fortnight.
Shadow Health Minister Ryan Park, Maitland MP Jenny Aitchison and candidate for the seat of Upper Hunter Peree Watson met met with union members outside the hospital to discuss a myriad of issues health workers are face on a daily basis.
One of the concerns raised was the urgent need for additional health staff to cut down the extreme wait times in the Emergency Department and to address the expanding elective surgery list.
Labor also announced the details of its comprehensive long-term plan to improve the health system should it form government on March 25.
The party has pledged to deliver an extra 1200 health workers across the state from nurses and midwives to paramedics on top of what the Coalition has announced, including 500 rural and regional paramedics within its first term.
Additional scholarships would also be provided for thousands of nurses, doctors, paramedics, and allied health professionals in training each year to shore up the pipeline of workers needed to meet those staffing requirements in hospitals.
The plan hinges on improving conditions and easing workloads by switching to a mandated safe staffing level of thee patients to one nurse in wards, starting with Emergency Departments.
Recent Bureau of Health Information (BHI) data revealed that 2,560 patients left the Maitland Hospital ED without, or before completing treatment. When compared to the same quarter in the previous year (Oct-Dec 2021) there was an increase of 61.7%.
It also revealed that there are currently 946 patients on the elective surgery waiting list and some patients were waiting up to 493 days for surgery.
Maitland MP Jenny Aitchison said the facility and its staff were beyond the breaking point.
“I’ve spoken to paramedics and nurses about what it is really like in our emergency wards – every day, every night and on every shift – they’re not just tired, they’re exhausted and they’re leaving in droves because this government isn’t listening.”
Shadow Health Minister Ryan Park said the shocking data for Maitland Hospital was echoed trends across the state.
“Patients presenting at Maitland Hospital are continuing to pay the price when there aren’t enough health workers in our hospitals.”
“There is widespread burnout, fatigue and under-resourcing in our hospitals. A Minns Labor Government will help train the paramedics, nurses, doctors, and allied health professionals we need to begin the work to repair our hospital system.”