Health Issues ...

This page provides an overview of some of the major health issues. There are numerous links to assist you move to specific pages for more details, or you can use the 'go' list above.

On this page you can view a summary of:

• What is happening in Hospitals:
  • Admissions to Hospital
  • Admissions to Government Hospitals
  • Admissions to Private Hospitals
  • Shortage of nurses
  • Public Hospital beds cut
  • Emergency Departments
  • Waiting Lists
• Health Budget
  • Recurrent
  • Infrastructure
    • Lowest share ever

What is happening in Hospitals ....

Since the Labor Government has been in office there has been a much bigger increase in admissions to private hospitals than to public hospitals ; only 32% of registered and enrolled nurses and midwives in NSW are choosing to work in the public health system and there are around 2,500 fewer beds in public hospitals ...

Admissions to Hospital ....

The State Government's health department annual reports show that between 1994-95 and 2008-09

• Total Admission to hospital rose by 42%
• Total Admissions toNSW Public Hospitals rose by 22%
• Total Admissions to Private Hospitals rose by 93%

Admissions to Government Hospitals ....

Admissions to Private Hospitals ....

Shortage of nurses....

... only 32% of the Registered Nurses and Enrolled nurses in NSW are choosing to work in our public hospital system according to the 2007-08 department of health annual report.

The government is advertising nursing vacancies on the NSW Health website, despite offering experienced front-line nurses voluntary redundancies. The figures below were downloaded on June 28 2009 from NSW Health website: http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/nursing/employment/dohrs.asp

Note* RN, EN and other nursing positions being actively recruited.

Public hospital bed numbers cut ....

... hospital bed numbers have been cut by 2,599 since the Carr Government was elected in 1995.

Emergency Departments .....

Ask anyone what they regard as the most important aspect of health care and they'll tell you the ability to get emergency treatment when they need it.

Yet our Emergency Departments are failing to cope, many of them being gridlocked. Critically ill people are waiting longer than they should to be seen by doctors (or even being taken off Ambulance trolleys), they are having to wait in corridors, they can't be admitted to hospital wards because there aren't enough beds and sometimes it takes days for medical treatment.

There has been a marked deterioration in Emergency Department benchmarks (the measures the government uses to see how they are performing) since the LaborGovernment came to office, not because medical staff are not doing their best, but primarily because of a shortage of ward beds to receive patients that must be admitted to hospital. (see Emergency Departments for details)

Waiting Lists ....

Record numbers of people are waiting for elective treatment in our hospitals despite the Labor Government being elected in the first place on a promise to half them. And even worse, there are many more people on those lists who have been waiting for more than a year. (see Waiting Lists for details of metropolitan, regional and rural waiting lists and waiting times)

Health Budget ....

Recurrent spending .....

The NSW government again painted a rosy picture for NSW Health following release of it's 2009 -10 budget on June 16th. But the reality is that although the budget increased by $1,337.2 million (10.2%) compared to the 08-09 budget, but  when the revised (blown-out) budget is taken into account it increased by only $690.6 million. And when a CPI rate of 3% is factored in the real increase over last year's budget is 7.2% and the actual increase over last year's revised budget is 1.8%.

Surprisingly, when Health Minister John Della Bosca was asked by Andrew Moore on 2GB on June 17th about the health budget deficit:he described the $646.6 million Health budget expenses blowout as “pretty well in the black':

“I have to say I’m very proud of the fact that we’ve managed to land to health budget for this year in just 7 months at um, you know, pretty well in the black. So, look I’m pretty happy with that.”

The budget blow-out has meant hospitals haven't been able to pay bills on time, staff freezes are in place and hours of nurses, cleaners and other front-line staff have been cut.

And according to Labor’s own budget papers, this health budget will result in worsening performance in our hospitals.

(Source: Budget Paper No. 3, page 13 – 17)

This is because the increased cost of salaries and other health expenses will eat up nearly all of the additional funds allocated this year.

Investment in Infrastructure ....

A $236 million cut to health infrastructure spending headlines a disastrous budget for the NSW health and hospital system this year.

Health Minister Reba Meagher’s press release from last year’s budget trumpeted health infrastructure spending of $839.5 million, but current Minister John Della Bosca has cut health infrastructure spending to $603 million in this year’s budget. This is a $236.5 million cut, or a 28.2% reduction.

And despite being revised - with budget papers reporting a $779.5 million capital budget last year - even using that figure the money to redevelop and upgrade hospitals has dropped by 23%.

Health capital budget the lowest ever ....

This allocation accounts for 3.4% of the total state infrastructure budget - the lowest level ever.

Source: Infrastructure Statement 2009-10 page 1 - 8

The last time the NSW Liberal/Nationals were in government it was 11%.

“This massive cut in health infrastructure spending means communities all over NSW will miss out on promised hospital upgrades or rebuilds. Families in Tamworth, Dubbo, Wagga Wagga, Bega and the Northern Beaches, for example, will continue to wait.