Friday 27 November 2009
INCOMPETENT REES GOVERNMENT’S GARLING FAILURE: ONE YEAR ON, NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED
One year to the day since Commissioner Peter Garling SC handed down his findings and recommendations into the NSW Health system, the sad reality is nothing of substance has changed in the state’s public hospitals, Shadow Minister for Health Jillian Skinner said today.
“Commissioner Garling spent 10 months collecting evidence, listening to witnesses and carefully examining the NSW public health system,” Mrs Skinner said.
“His detailed report and recommendations provided a clear way forward, unfortunately the Rees Labor Government has largely ignored the Garling inquiry,” she said.
“A year after the Rees Labor Government received the Garling inquiry findings and recommendations, nothing has changed.
“Doctors have slammed the lack of progress, nurses have slammed the lack of progress and patients continue to suffer because Labor has failed to fix the systemic problems in our public health system
“The Rees Labor Government has failed to recruit the 500 Clinical Support Officers, just 132 are actually working in our public hospitals, or 26% of what was promised.
“Commissioner Garling found hospital acquired infection is costing the NSW health system upwards of $600 million each year, and recommended each ward must publicly display monthly rates of hospital acquired infections and compliance with hand washing – nothing has been done and no results or data is currently being published. And it gets worse.
“An independent audit on the Rees Government’s progress on implementing this recommendation has found Labor is failing, stating: “no health service have yet implemented the more rigorous audit training and implementation required by the national hand hygiene initiative”, and some Area Health Services “have taken the approach of assigning a status of ‘achieved’ once regular hand hygiene audits are conducted regardless of results”.
“Labor’s health policies and their Area Health Services have failed to deliver better health care for NSW families, which is why a NSW Liberals & Nationals Government will remove them.
“A NSW Liberals & Nationals Government will create smaller Health Districts with local Boards made up of community representatives and expert clinicians – we will give power back to local communities.
“Only a NSW Liberals & Nationals Government is committed to delivering a health system that puts patients first, and re-engages demoralised medical professionals,” Mrs Skinner said.