Wednesday 6 May 2009
REES THUMBS NOSE AT DUBBO DOCTORS AND LOCAL COMMUNITY
Nathan Rees’s incompetent State Labor Government continues to block a sensible plan for emergency operations proposed by Dubbo doctors and supported by local administrators and the community, Shadow Minister for Health Jillian Skinner and Leader of The Nationals Andrew Stoner said today.
“Dubbo is at risk of losing two valuable surgeons because their local proposal, supported by everyone in Dubbo is being held up by Labor’s North Sydney health head office,” Mrs Skinner said.
“The doctors contracts expired at midnight last Thursday and two of the four local surgeons have refused to sign up to old contracts because they believe they are inefficient and unworkable.
“Their proposed alternate plan would allow the surgeons to do emergency operations during daylight hours instead of after midnight.
“It would be a win all around – it has been proven that operations done during the day get better results for patients and it would save taxpayer funds because exhausted staff wouldn’t be running up overtime bills and hefty locum doctor fees would be reduced.
“In fact the doctors believe their proposal would save $500,000 a year.
“Nathan Rees has failed to support this plan, and his inexperience and incompetence could cost Dubbo the services of two highly skilled surgeons.”
Mr Stoner asked Nathan Rees in Parliament today why he was not delivering this sensible plan for Dubbo, but he refused to answer the question.
“It makes no sense for Nathan Rees to block this sensible plan to deliver better health services for the Dubbo community,” he said.
“As usual, Labor’s bloody-minded health bureaucracy is standing in the way of a sensible idea.
“This sort of petty minded bureaucracy would be eliminated under the NSW Liberal/Nationals Health Districts.
“Our policy would remove the huge, out of touch and inefficient area health services and give local doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and the local community a real say in how their health services were delivered.
“Nathan Rees should direct his health department to sign off on this plan so Dubbo can retain the services of these valuable surgeons,” Mr Stoner said.