Make your voice heard on the state of health care in the bush
Your health care experiences matter is the key message from Member for Barwon, Roy Butler when speaking about the parliamentary inquiry into health care in regional NSW.
The NSW Parliament is currently inquiring into Health outcomes and access to health and hospital services in rural, regional and remote NSW following political pressure from the Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party.
“For over two years now I’ve been calling on the NSW Government to make the health, welfare and safety of people across rural and regional NSW a priority, they’ve been slow to act. Now, through political pressure, we’re now seeing some action,” said Mr Butler.
“I’ve been unrelenting in my push to have the Local Health Districts and the Minister for Health act on the issue of regional health care. I do need to give them credit – they have listened to what I have had to say, but sadly we’re still seeing people die for wholly avoidable reasons.
“Now it is time for them to listen to what the people of Barwon and all of regional, rural and remote NSW have to say.
“The inquiry is taking submissions from anyone who has something to say on the availability of health services and their individual health care experiences. Submissions don’t need to be long and there is no right or wrong thing to say.
“I know that more and more people are required to travel to access health care. I know that we have hospitals that can’t deliver basic services. I know this because not a week goes by that my offices don’t hear from a constituent concerned about what happened to them at the local hospital.
“The concern out in the community about what might happen is very real and it’s totally unfair on them that they no longer have faith that they’ll be looked after when they go to hospital.
“In the strongest terms I must say that this is no fault of our hard working local clinicians. Go to any community and you’ll hear from people about the high regard in which they hold the local doctor and nurses. What it comes down to is that our local facilities are under resourced – and that feedback comes from those who work in the system.
“The responsibility for the under resourcing sits squarely with the Ministry of Health and the Health bureaucrats. At the end of the day I know there’s a health budget that needs to balance out, but balancing the books shouldn’t be at the cost of people’s lives.”
To make a submission
NSW Parliament submissions must be made online via the NSW Parliament website.
For constituents who need assistance with a submission please contact my office in either Cobar, Broken Hill or Narrabri, we will make arrangements with you to ensure your experience is heard.