Sunday 31 January 2010
DUBBO DOCTORS DUDDED BY LABOR
The immediate future of surgery at Dubbo Base Hospital is under a cloud following a decision by seven Sydney anaesthetists to quit after being asked by the State Labor Government to take significant pay cuts, Deputy NSW Opposition Leader and Shadow Minister for Health Jillian Skinner said today.
The locum doctors said the hospital was already short-staffed.
"The State Labor Government has form when it comes to the shabby treatment of Dubbo doctors,” Mrs Skinner said.
"First it played games with critically needed surgeons as they tried to negotiate contract renewals that would have been a win for local patients. Now it is at it again 'breaking' contracts with desperately needed visiting anaesthetists,” she said.
"In the end it is the patients of Dubbo and surrounding areas who are betrayed by NSW Health Minister Carmel Tebbutt as operating theatre time available to surgeons has been halved.
"The massive disruption this mismanagement will have to operations at Dubbo Hospital will result in waiting lists blowing out even further.
"Dubbo already has a waiting list of 848 patients who require surgery, up from 701 a year earlier - patients can't afford to wait any longer for their health needs to be addressed. Surgery lists are already being cut or cancelled to accommodate Labor's incompetent hospital management.
"These farcical staffing arrangements simply wouldn't happen under a NSW Liberals & Nationals Government. We will abolish Labor's dysfunctional Area Health Services that have failed to address local staffing issues.
"The NSW Liberals & Nationals' smaller Health Districts will have boards to involve the local community and clinicians in the recruitment process, instead of bureaucrats in a remote office.
"Labor's system is wasteful and ineffective - put simply, the State Labor Government has broken the NSW health system. The NSW Liberals & Nationals will put in place the local solutions to fix it,” Mrs Skinner said.
DUBBO DOCTORS DUDDED BY LABOR
The immediate future of surgery at Dubbo Base Hospital is under a cloud following a decision by seven Sydney anaesthetists to quit after being asked by the State Labor Government to take significant pay cuts, Deputy NSW Opposition Leader and Shadow Minister for Health Jillian Skinner said today.
The locum doctors said the hospital was already short-staffed.
"The State Labor Government has form when it comes to the shabby treatment of Dubbo doctors,” Mrs Skinner said.
"First it played games with critically needed surgeons as they tried to negotiate contract renewals that would have been a win for local patients. Now it is at it again 'breaking' contracts with desperately needed visiting anaesthetists,” she said.
"In the end it is the patients of Dubbo and surrounding areas who are betrayed by NSW Health Minister Carmel Tebbutt as operating theatre time available to surgeons has been halved.
"The massive disruption this mismanagement will have to operations at Dubbo Hospital will result in waiting lists blowing out even further.
"Dubbo already has a waiting list of 848 patients who require surgery, up from 701 a year earlier - patients can't afford to wait any longer for their health needs to be addressed. Surgery lists are already being cut or cancelled to accommodate Labor's incompetent hospital management.
"These farcical staffing arrangements simply wouldn't happen under a NSW Liberals & Nationals Government. We will abolish Labor's dysfunctional Area Health Services that have failed to address local staffing issues.
"The NSW Liberals & Nationals' smaller Health Districts will have boards to involve the local community and clinicians in the recruitment process, instead of bureaucrats in a remote office.
"Labor's system is wasteful and ineffective - put simply, the State Labor Government has broken the NSW health system. The NSW Liberals & Nationals will put in place the local solutions to fix it,” Mrs Skinner said.
3/40 Yeo Street, Neutral Bay 2089. Ph: 9909 2594 Fax: 9909 2654 Email: Jillian.Skinner@parliament.nsw.gov.au