Urgent solution needed for medical staff shortage says MP

North Western parliamentarian Adam Marshall has called on the NSW government to find an urgent solution to medical staff shortages being experienced in rural areas.

Mr Marshall, the Member for Northern Tablelands, delivered a scathing assessment of rural health services and staffing when he delivered a speech to the NSW Parliament this week.

Mr Marshall described how a reliance on locum doctors to fill rosters in rural hospitals had created a system that favoured wealth over health.

“The lack of a sufficient medical workforce of general practitioners, without whom we cannot run rural hospitals—a situation that has been progressively deteriorating for the past two decades—is now at crisis point in many parts of rural New South Wales, particularly in my electorate,” Mr Marshall told Parliament.

“Additionally, today’s [Tuesday] NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association statewide day of action is the last-gasp plea of that workforce, which is also, in some parts, on the brink of collapse.

“I stand here tonight in full support of our region’s amazing medical staff—doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and the people who support them—and fully back their efforts to secure better pay and conditions and increased numbers of colleagues to join them on the front line in our rural public hospitals.

“The system we have created has made health about wealth. We have been paying locums exorbitant fees to fill in gaps.

“In the process, we have created a whole industry of locum doctors and rewarded people for becoming part-time professionals. Meanwhile, nurses in our local hospitals are pulling double and triple shifts to try and cover the gaps.

Mr Marshall said NSW Health cannot believe the current system is adequate or working.

“It simply is not. Today’s system might have worked several decades ago, but it is not fit for purpose today. If it was not for the commitment of our local nurses, many of my towns would be without all medical coverage after hours—full stop,” he said.

“Never before has our health system and the people who work within it faced more extreme challenges than in the past two years. Our nurses and medical staff are on the front line.”

State Member for Barwon, Roy Butler, also stood in solidarity with the striking health care staff.

“We will continue to push for health care reforms to try to solve some of the long-standing problems with our health system,” Mr Butler said.

“Attracting and retaining nurses, paramedics and medical staff is central to improving health outcomes.”